


A (Not Exactly) Storybook Romance

by writetherest



Category: The Devil Wears Prada
Genre: AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-28
Updated: 2009-02-27
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:43:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 30,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writetherest/pseuds/writetherest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andy owns a bookstore. She's kind of a bookworm and wallflower, but is secretly an amazing artist. She can sketch anything. Somehow Miranda brings her out of her shell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for je-talveran for the DWP Top Secret Admirer Exchange.

Andy Sachs was in the middle of her favorite dream. In it, she was sitting with her grandmother, curled up to her side, while the older woman read to her. Her voice was smooth and melodic, reciting the words of Shakespeare or the stories of the Grimm Brothers. The fingers of the hand not holding the book in front of her would comb gently through Andy's hair, helping to lull her even further into the worlds created by the words read aloud.

Her grandmother was just getting to Andy's favorite part in Snow White, when a new, decidedly male voice cut into the story. "Rise and shine, love. It's nearly 7:30."

Andy let out a moan of protest and turned, squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, desperately trying to hang on to the dream. A whimper was heard from beside her, signaling that the other occupant of her bed was also not ready to wake up just yet. Andy felt the bed shift as the person trying to rouse her sat down.

"Come on, darling. It's time to grace the world with your beautiful presence. Coffee's on the nightstand." A kiss landed on her cheek.

Andy groaned once more, but rolled over, hand reaching blindly for her coffee mug. The male hand wrapped around it, guiding it to its destination. "I'll see you for lunch. Love you."

Andy swallowed some of the hot liquid, allowing the caffeine to begin to seep into her body before she opened her eyes to find the room empty. "I love you too!" She called down the hallway with a grin. She allowed herself the luxury of two more minutes spent in bed, drinking the coffee, before she finally let her feet to touch the cold wooden floor of the bedroom.

Once again there was a whimper from beside her and she turned and grinned at the little white head sticking out of the covers. "It's okay, Coco. You can sleep a bit longer."

Andy laughed when the little white head disappeared back under the covers, then she quickly set about getting ready for the day. By the time she had showered and dressed, the little mound was gone from under the covers, allowing her to make the bed.

"Coco. Coco." Andy called as she moved through the apartment, stopping in the kitchen with a smile. "There you are! Is it breakfast time?"

The little dog yipped in agreement, and Andy grinned, grabbing the container that housed her food. "Here you go, baby." She poured the food into the dish, and then ran her hand over the dog's head before turning to look for something for herself for breakfast.

She didn't need to look far. There was a yogurt container and a banana sitting on the counter, along with a note. 'Eat Me'. Andy giggled. Sometimes, life felt like it was just about perfect.

**

"Girl, where have you been? It's nearly 9!" Lily exclaimed as Andy and Coco made it to the store front where she was already waiting.

"Coco was a little late getting out of bed this morning." Andy grinned, handing Lily the set of keys.

Lily looked at her best friend and rolled her eyes before releasing the lock and sliding the screen up, opening the store front. "I bet she was."

Lily opened the door to the store and headed inside, turning on lights as she went. Coco tugged at the leash, wanting to follow Lily, but Andy stood still, looking up at the sign above the window. 'Sachs of Books'. She smiled wistfully, looking up at the sky before finally heading inside the store.

"So, how long can you hang around today?" Andy asked, leaning down to unhook Coco's leash.

"At least until lunch. I need to be at the gallery by 2."

"Great." Andy watched Coco take off through the store like she owned it.

“So, what are we doing today, boss?” Lily teased.

Andy stuck her tongue out at her. “The window display needs updating. Any ideas?”

“Well… summer’s coming. Maybe a beach theme or something? Good beach reads?”

“Not a bad idea. Maybe a ‘summer reading list’? We could do beach reads but also intermingle some classics.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Okay. Why don’t you go dig out the beach reads, I’ll take care of the classics, and we can reconvene in a while.”

Lily headed off to the romance section of the store, while Andy moved towards the classics, which happened to be her favorite section. She ran her fingers over the titles, pulling some down, looking them over and then placing them back. Every so often she would hold up two books and look down at Coco, who was now sitting at her feet. “What do you think Coco?” The dog barked. “I agree. We definitely need Pride & Prejudice.”

Andy had just finished making her selections and was heading back toward the front of the store, when the bell chimed, signaling that someone had entered.

“Hi, welcome to ‘Sachs of Books’. Can I help you find some-“

“I need The Wizard of Oz.” A thin, red-headed woman was juggling about five designer bags, a tray of Starbucks, and a cell phone.

“Um, okay. Well, we have a few different copies, I could show you…”

“I don’t care about the cover. I just want the book.”

Andy frowned slightly. She wondered if the woman wanted just The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, or if she wanted the whole collection of Oz books. She had just shown the whole collection to –

“Today.”

“Okay. Sorry.” Andy moved quickly to the shelf where she picked her favorite version of the book.

“Here you go.” The woman somehow managed to free a hand and snatch the book out of Andy’s grasp. Andy shrunk back slightly. “Um, is there anything else that I can –“

Before Andy could finish her sentence, the phone in the woman’s hand began to ring. The woman’s eyes widened and she quickly answered it. “Hello Miranda. Yes, I’m here now. Yes, I will be back just as soon as this woman rings me up.” At this, a glare was thrown at Andy. “Yes, yes, I’m sure it’s the one that Cassidy wants. Yes, Miranda. Absolutely Miranda.”

At the name Cassidy, Andy looked up. Wait a minute.

“Um, ma’am?”

The woman was hanging up the phone, looking more harried than before. “What?”

“You um, you said this was for Cassidy. Is she a younger girl, red hair?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”

“Well, you see, it’s just –“

“I do not have time for this right now! Just ring up the damn book, would you?”

“I would but you see, that’s not –“

“I think I know what book my boss wants to get her daughter for her birthday. Now are you going to ring me up or am I going to have to leave this store and see to it that my boss shuts you down forever?”

Andy blinked rapidly at that. She didn’t necessarily believe that that could happen, but the woman looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown and so she rang up the book.

“That’ll be $21.25.”

“For a book? Bloody hell.” The woman thrust the money forward, grabbed the book and left without even taking her change.

“Whoa! What was up with her?” Lily asked, coming from the other side of the store holding a large pile of books.

“I don’t know. But I hate to see her when she realizes she bought the wrong book.”

**

Cassidy grinned widely as her mother handed her the last present. She knew what it was without even opening it, and she was incredibly excited. Not that she wasn’t thrilled with all the cool clothes, the new iPod, the necklace and everything, but all that she had really wanted for her birthday was this one thing.

“Go ahead Cass, open yours.” Caroline said, nodding to the package that she was clutching.

Cassidy bit her lip and then tore into the paper. She smiled at the sight of a book, but as she turned it over and saw the title on the front, her smile faded. This wasn’t right. She had wanted _The Complete Oz_ , not just _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_. She had told her mother at least three times. And every time, her mother had assured her that she knew exactly what it was that she wanted.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Miranda asked, noticing the faltering smiled.

“What? Oh. Nothing! Nothing. It’s great! Just what I wanted. Thanks Mom.” She forced a smile. At least she had the first story. That would hold her over until she could get back to the bookstore. “Caroline, go ahead, open yours.” She encouraged, trying to get her mother’s attention off of her.

Caroline was just about to open her last gift when the doorbell rang.

“Who could that be?” Miranda asked aloud. Both girls shrugged. Neither was expecting anyone.

A moment later, Maria, their housekeeper, entered the room, holding a package wrapped in brown paper.

“Pardon me, Miss Miranda, but this just came for Miss Cassidy.”

“For me?” Cassidy was surprised, but she jumped up and grabbed the package.

She tore it open, once again revealing a book. But this time, when she took in the title, a wide grin spread across her face. _The Complete Oz_ was embossed on the beautiful old book with gold lettering. She opened it and scanned over the table of contents, grinning as she saw all the stories listed. She didn’t even need to look at the card that was tucked in the book to see who it was from, but she picked it out anyway. _Happy Birthday Cassidy. Enjoy Oz, but remember to come back and visit me. AMS._

“What is it?” Caroline asked, leaning over to look at it.

“It’s nothing.” She said quickly, trying to hide it from her mother. “Just a book, from a friend.”

“Cassidy, give me the book.” Miranda’s voice brooked no argument and Cassidy sighed and handed the book over to her.

Miranda looked at it, then at the card and then at Cassidy. “This is the book you wanted?”

“I – yes.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so?”

Cassidy blinked. “Mom, I did. I told you three times. Didn’t Andy tell you that you were getting the wrong book when you went to buy it for me?”

“Andy?”

“Yeah, the lady at the bookstore. I told her that you would come by to get the book. I described you to her and everything. I can’t believe she let you get the wrong book.”

"Yes, well…" Miranda didn't know how to respond.

Cassidy looked at Miranda and then realization seemed to settle over her. "Oh."

"Cassidy,"

"No. No, it's okay, mom. I understand. You're really busy. It's fine." Cassidy forced a smile and held her hand out for the book. "I got what I wanted in the end. And everything else was great. Thank you."

Miranda handed the book back to her. She still didn't know what to say to her daughter.

"Go ahead Caroline, open yours." Cassidy smiled, trying to fight back tears.

Caroline pulled the paper off to reveal a paint set, exactly what she'd asked for. She smiled at her mother, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thanks mom, this is great."

"You're welcome darling."

Silence stretched through the air as the three women regarded each other. Finally Miranda broke it. "What would you like to do now darlings? There's your cake or we could go to the theatre or…"

"I think I'd like to go read my book." Cassidy said softly, still holding tightly to the book.

"Yeah, and I'd like to try out the paints." Caroline nodded.

Miranda looked slightly disappointed but smiled anyway. "Alright darlings, it's your special day. Whatever you want."

Cassidy was halfway up the stairs before Miranda had even finished her sentence.

**

She knew it was Caroline entering her room before she ever spoke. Mainly because Caroline was the only one who could get away with entering her room without knocking. And because her mother hadn't entered her room in months, and Stephen was gone, and so that left Caroline as the only possibility.

Caroline collapsed on the bed next to her, a smudge of blue paint on her left cheek.

"How are the paints?" She asked, without looking up from her book. They have been doing this for 13 years, and sometimes when it happens, she feels like they're back to being 5 again, huddling together in the same bed while their parents fight down the hall.

"They're good. I started something but… " Caroline shrugged, without actually shrugging.

"You'll figure it out." Cassidy knew this for sure.

Caroline was silent for a few moments, relaxing further into the bed, and somehow sliding closer to her sister. "You know she didn't mean to hurt you." She said, finally.

Cassidy made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat. Of course she knew that, but she also knew that it had hurt.

"She's just really busy and…"

"She's never not busy." Cassidy finally said. "It's not even that she didn't go to get the book. It's that I told her, Caroline, I told her three separate times. And every time she told me she knew."

"Maybe Emily messed it up. You know how she is."

Cassidy had no reply to this. They continued to lay in silence, Cassidy reading the book, Caroline staring at the ceiling.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Cassidy looked over at her. "About the book?"

"About the store. About this Andy person. Is that where you've been going all the time lately?"

"I don't know. I didn't think it was important." That was not true. The reason Cassidy hadn't told her sister or her mother or anyone else about the bookstore was because she didn't want to.

She had stumbled upon it quite by accident one day. Spring was just starting to really hit the city and she had decided to walk home from school. While walking, she had wondered a bit aimlessly off her normal path and had stumbled upon the store. She still wasn't sure why she had decided to enter, but she had. Coco had heralded her arrival by barking three times, and Andy had approached her, smiling, asking if she needed something. The store was cozy, warm, homey, with nice music playing and big, comfortable chairs to sit on. Often, Cassidy would find herself curled up in the chairs, reading and reading away.

She worried that Andy would be upset that she read the books, but often didn't buy them, but Andy didn't seem to mind at all. Andy was as warm and inviting as the store itself, although she also seemed rather shy and quiet. But once she stared talking about books, she came alive. She knew all about all the books that Cassidy had to read for her English classes, and soon Cassidy found herself coming to the store every evening after school to do her homework. And if Andy didn't know the book that Cassidy was reading, she would read it right along with Cassidy so that she could discuss it with her.

Since the divorce, her mother had been spending even longer hours at work than normal, and Caroline had started going over to her boyfriend James' house after school. Cassidy would much rather spend her evenings in the cozy store, talking to Andy about books and playing with Coco, than sitting home in the big house alone.

It was her own little secret, the one thing that was Cassidy's alone. She and Caroline had always shared everything, and she'd never really minded. It had always been comforting to have someone to share everything with, someone who knew all her secrets and moods. But sometimes Cassidy felt as though she wasn't an actual person, just a part of a pair. It was always 'the girls' or 'the twins' or 'Cassidy-and-Caroline'. No one could tell them apart except for their parents, and even they often referred to them as 'the girls'.

But Andy was different. Andy didn't know that Caroline even existed. To her there was just Cassidy, not 'Cassidy-and-Caroline'. Not even 'Cassidy Priestly'. Andy and the store were something that were special, just for her. And Cassidy had not yet been willing to share that with her sister, or anyone.

Caroline moved even closer to her sister, so that they were tight up against each other. "I understand."

Cassidy slid the card from Andy into the page she was reading and closed the book, flipping over so that she too was lying on her back. Their hands found each other and her head rested on her sister's shoulder. She closed her eyes. She didn't need to say thank you. It was understood. Instead she whispered, "Happy Birthday", and allowed herself to fall asleep.

That was how Miranda found them later, snuggled together, still holding hands, the book on Cassidy's stomach and the paint smudge on Caroline's cheek, sound asleep.

**

It had taken her exactly three minutes and 47 seconds from the time she walked off the elevator at Runway the next morning until Emily had confessed, while fighting back tears, that the woman at the bookstore had tried to tell her something, but that she had ignored her. Miranda dismissed her with instructions to bring her her Starbucks and the address of the bookstore in five minutes or to not come back. She made it with only 10 seconds to spare.

**

The store was decently sized and inviting enough from the outside. A large sign with the words 'Sachs of Books' was above the door. It looked worn. The display window was apparently in the midst of being redone, as it held a beach chair and randomly tossed about toys and piles of books. Miranda wondered, as she pulled open the door, how it was that Cassidy had ever found this place.

A bell jingled and a little white dog, a Maltese if Miranda was not mistaken, came running from between a set of shelves, yapping at her. The scent of coffee filled the air, and laughter could be heard coming from somewhere close by.

"Who's here, Coco? Huh, who's here?" The voice was still full of laughter as it came closer. Finally the speaker appeared.

She was a young woman, who looked to be in her mid twenties. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but there were a few strands framing her face. She had little to no makeup on, but a sweet smile. "Hi, welcome to Sachs of Books. Is there something I can help you-"

"I'd like to speak to Andy."

The young woman blinked. "That's me."

"You are Andy?" Miranda had expected an older woman, more matronly, not this young girl.

"Yes. Andrea Sachs, but everyone calls me Andy."

"Andrea." Miranda let the name roll on her tongue. Yes, Andrea. Not the provincial Andy. "I believe you know my daughter, Cassidy."

Andy's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh yes, Cassidy! You're Cassidy's mother? It's a pleasure to meet you." Andy held out her hand.

Miranda stared at it before continuing on. "You sent my daughter a book for her birthday."

Andy's hand dropped to her side. "I – well, yes, I did. I knew how much she wanted it, and when your assistant came in, I tried to explain to her that she was buying the wrong book, but she was rather in a hurry and…"

"She purchased the wrong book. I am well aware of this. I witnessed my daughter's disappointment. However, you sent her the correct book."

"Yes?" Andy wasn't sure where this conversation was going.

Miranda pulled her Prada purse up, opening it to search for her wallet. "How much was the book?"

"What?"

"The book, that you sent my daughter. How much was it?"

"I – it was a gift."

"Yes, it was to be my gift to her and my incompetent assistant obviously ruined that, so you sent it to her. I appreciate that and am here to pay you back for it." Miranda looked at her as though she was stupid.

"No. I don't think you understand. It was a gift. From me to Cassidy. You don't need to pay me back. I wanted to give it to her. I won't accept your money."

"Excuse me?"

"I said," Andy took a breath," I won't accept your money. It was a gift from me to Cassidy. You, or well, your assistant, purchased her a book, albeit the wrong one. If she wants to bring that book back to me, I'd be happy to exchange it for another book she wants, but the book that I sent to her was a gift from me. Therefore, I won't accept your money for it."

Miranda felt her face flush in anger. She had never before had an offer of money denied, nor had she ever had someone tell her that she had made a mistake. Who did this woman think she was?

"Do you have any idea who I am?"

The girl looked confused. "You're Cassidy's mother."

"I am Miranda Priestly." She waited for the flash of recognition, the moment of fear, of horror when she realized exactly who she was dealing with, but it did not come.

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Priestly." Andy didn't know what else she was supposed to say at this moment. The name sounded just vaguely familiar, but she figured that was because Cassidy had probably mentioned it a time or two. And she had known Priestly was Cassidy's last name, so of course her mother's would be the same.

Miranda's eyes widened. The girl honestly didn't know who she was! This had never, ever happened to her before. She had no idea what to do in this situation. She turned and headed for the door.

"Ms. Priestly?" She turned and stared at Andrea, the woman who had no idea who she was, yet had the audacity to stop her from leaving. "Your assistant…"

"Emily." She supplied, her tone icy.

"Emily." Andrea smiled softly. "It seems to me that she's incredibly over worked. Perhaps you should give her a day off."

Miranda had to stop her mouth from dropping open at the woman's comment, and she quickly stormed out of the store and into the waiting car, demanding to go back to Elias-Clark immediately.

Andy could only stare after her, confused as to what had just happened.

"Oh my god, Andy, do you have any idea who that was?" Lily asked, coming to stand next to her.

"Cassidy's mother."

"No. Andy! That was Miranda Priestly."

Andy turned, looking at her with a confused look on her face.

" _The_ Miranda Priestly!" When there was still no recognition, Lily grabbed Andy's arm and pulled her to the magazine rack. She grabbed the latest issue of Runway and thrust the Editor's letter in front of Andy. "The Editor of Runway. Honey, your grandma would be so disappointed in you right now."

Andy stared at the picture, the woman with the icy eyes and shining white hair. Miranda Priestly. "Oh my god."

**

Andy lay, curled on her bed, running her hands over Coco's fur. She let out a sigh, which caused the little dog to move closer to her. Miranda Priestly. Miranda Priestly was Cassidy's mother. She still couldn't quite wrap her brain about what she'd learned after the woman had left the store. Nor could she deal with the fact that she'd told Miranda Priestly she didn't want her money and that she should give her assistant a day off. Miranda would probably never allow Cassidy to come back to the store again.

Although Lily had only been teasing about her grandmother being disappointed in her for not knowing who Miranda was, Andy had to admit that she was probably right. Her grandmother had loved fashion and especially loved Runway. Andy sighed once more. "I'm sorry Grandma Eve. I wish I had known it was Miranda. Now I look like a complete idiot and she'll probably never let Cassidy come back to the store. I wish you were here right now. You'd know what to do."

Andy closed her eyes and allowed sleep to overtake her.

The next thing Andy was aware of was being in Central Park, standing on the Bethesda Terrace, looking down on the fountain below her. "There's my beautiful granddaughter."

She turned at the sound of the voice and was met with the sight of her grandmother, walking toward her, smiling. "Grandma Eve!" The exclamation came out in a rush of emotion as she raced forward, practically flinging herself into the older woman's arms.

"Now, now honey, calm down. It's okay."

Andy buried her head in her grandmother's neck for long moments before she pulled back and looked at her. "What's the matter, my little Andy?"

"I did something really stupid today Grandma."

Her grandmother motioned for them to sit down and Andy did, telling her everything about what had happened in the store that afternoon. "And now she's probably never going to let Cassidy come see me again, and I feel like such an idiot."

"Oh honey, don't. Miranda Priestly is just a person, just like you and me." Nimble old fingers combed through Andy's hair. "She's just a bit more powerful and fashionable than us." She looked over at Andy, in sweatpants and a Northwestern sweater. "Especially you." The voice was teasing.

"What do I do, Grandma?"

"You know what I always say. There is a person for every book. You just need to find the book that belongs to Miranda."

Andy considered this. It was a good idea. She could send a book to Miranda, along with an apology note. But the book would have to be something special. "Yes, but, what book Grandma? I have no idea what to send her."

"Yes you do."

It was then that Andy noticed that her grandmother was holding a book in her hands. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. "That book? Grandma, are you sure?"

"Who better for it than her, honey?" Her grandmother was smiling. Andy wanted to stay here, with her like this, forever.

Her grandmother leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I wish you could stay too, sweetheart, but you can't. It's time to wake up."

Andy grasped her hand. "No. Please. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, my little Andy. But I'm always here with you. I love you."

"I love you too."

And with that, Andy woke up. She always hated waking up after dreams where she got to see her grandmother again, but today at least she felt a sense of purpose. She knew what she had to do.

**

It had been an abysmal day. Cassidy was not speaking to her, after finding out that she had gone to see Andrea. She did not understand why her daughter was angry at her, if she should be angry at anyone, it should be Andrea, the little idiot. Add to that an incompetent second assistant who could not get proper coffee to save her life, a photo shoot set back by rain, and an utterly disappointing run through, and who could blame her for being in a bad mood. Things had only gotten worse after lunch, which had consisted of a horribly cooked steak that she had been unable to eat. The layouts for the next issue were subpar at best, one of the photographers was throwing a fit, and the latest designs from the featured designer had been horrendous.

She had finally gotten a moment to be by herself when she heard her first assistant enter the office. "What is it Emily?" Her voice was colder than ice.

"I'm sorry Miranda, I don't mean to disturb you, but… this just arrived for you."

Miranda turned and saw that Emily was holding a package, wrapped in brown paper. She blinked at it. "Put it on the desk."

Emily set the package on the desk, and then stood waiting for further instructions.

"That's all." Miranda gritted out.

Emily scurried away. Miranda waited until she was sure Emily was occupied before she turned and looked at the package. It looked just like the one Cassidy had received on her birthday. And if it was, that meant it could only be from one person.

Miranda had to admit that she was intrigued. She reached forward and undid the wrapping. It was definitely a book, and an old one at that. Miranda's brow furrowed. What book could Andrea possibly be sending her?

She noticed the card and picked it up, opening it. Small, neat handwriting met her gaze. _'Ms. Priestly, I hope you will accept this as an apology from me. I was a complete idiot yesterday, to say the least. I truly didn't know who you were, and I'm sorry. My grandmother always said that there was a person for every book. I know that you are the person for this book. Best regards, AMS.'_

Miranda tapped a finger to her lip. She had known yesterday that the girl didn't know who she was. She was certainly not expecting this. An apology in the form of a book. Very, very interesting. She set the card down on the desk and opened the front cover of the book, only to have her eyes go very wide as she took in the first page. No. It couldn't be. And yet… she flipped through page after page and there was no mistaking it. She felt her heart beginning to beat faster.

She stood, grabbing the book and the card. "Coat. Bag. Have Roy waiting for me downstairs. And clear my schedule for the rest of the day." She said as she breezed out of the office. It appeared that she would be going back to 'Sachs of Books' for the second time in as many days.

**

The little dog once again signaled her arrival. Andrea entered from a door to what was probably a back room, hair once again pulled up. Today, she was wearing a pair of old, ratty jeans and a faded t-shirt for a band that had been popular in the eighties, both of which were splattered with various colors of paint. Again the woman was wearing little makeup, but today there was a splash of color on her face in the form of a smudge of red across her forehead.

"Welcome to – Ms. Priestly!" Andy's eyes widened as she took in Miranda standing in her store once again.

"Miranda."

"I – what?"

"My name is Miranda. Not Ms. Priestly." Miranda hated it when people called her that.

"Oh, um, of course. I'm sorry, Ms. – Miranda. I – what can I do for you?"

"Do you always speak like this?"

Andy was thrown for a loop. "Like, like what?"

"Like a five year old child?"

"Um, I – no, I don't think I do – but you see, it's just…" Andy stopped, realizing she was only proving Miranda right. She swallowed and tried again. "Apparently only around you."

Miranda's eyebrow lifted. "And why do you think that is?"

"I'm really not sure. All I know is that it seems that whenever you are around, I turn into a babbling idiot. For which I'm extremely sorry."

"Yes, I got your apology. You must be very sorry indeed."

Andy just stared at Miranda. Miranda held up the book that was in her hand. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Um, well, if you think it's one of Coco Chanel's sketch books, then… yes."

"I am to believe that this is actually one of Chanel's original sketch books?"

"It is. If you don't believe it, you can have it looked at by any number of historians. I'm sure you know Karl Lagerfeld personally, have him look at it."

"Do you have any idea how much this book would be worth, if it were the real thing?"

Andy sighed, and sat down on a stool behind the counter. "It is the real thing. And I'm sure it's worth hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars."

"And yet you have it in your possession and are willing to give it away so easily, to someone you don't even know."

"Not just someone. Miranda Priestly. Queen of the fashion industry. If there is anyone who is supposed to have that book, it's you. And besides, I do know you. You're Cassidy's mother."

"That still doesn't answer the question of how you have the book in your possession."

"It was my grandmother's."

"Your grandmother?"

Andy spun on the stool and stood up, pulling a picture down off the wall behind the counter. She passed it to Miranda. In the picture stood a fashionable older woman and a teenaged girl wearing a prom gown, obviously designer made, hugging each other and smiling. "She was an incredibly wealthy woman. The only daughter of a well off family here in New York who left everything to her when they died, and the beloved wife of a man whose family had made quite a lot of money in the oil business in Texas and then in the stock market here in New York, who also left her everything when he died. She loved fashion, loved everything about it, and it was about the only real luxury she spent her money on. My grandfather bought her that book at an auction for their anniversary." Andy looked at Miranda and smiled. "She would be so thrilled to know that you were standing in her store."

"Her store? Not yours?"

"Well, mine now I guess but… this store will always be hers."

Miranda handed the picture back and regarded the young woman again. "And your grandmother would be ok with you giving me this book?"

"Oh, absolutely. It was her idea, actually." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Andy knew how utterly ridiculous they sounded, and that her explanation would make Miranda think she was crazier than she already thought she was.

The eyebrow rose again. "Her idea? I took it, from what you've been saying, Andrea, that your grandmother is dead."

"She is." Andy nodded. The eyebrow rose even further. "Oh, god," she ran a hand over her face, "now you're going to think I'm an insane idiot."

The girl was blushing, her cheeks turning almost as red as the smudge of paint on her forehead. On most people, it would look awful, and yet, on Andrea, it was almost becoming. "Do tell, Andrea, how it is that this was your grandmother's idea."

Andy hopped down off the stool and moved around the counter. "I, um, have dreams about her. I still talk to her all the time, and sometimes, I have dreams where she comes to visit me. Talks to me. Helps me through things. After she died, I was completely miserable. I wanted… closure or something. Some way to know that she was still with me, even though she wasn't. So I started researching things, and I found the name of this pretty famous medium… Allison DuBois. I got her books and I read them and… she talks about how the dead are always with you and they're trying to get through to you, but sometimes you just can't see or hear them because you aren't ready. So I started opening myself up to Grandma Eve, telling her I was ready if she was. And I started having the dreams not long after." Andy shrugged again. "I don't know, maybe it's just my subconscious tricking me, but sometimes the dreams feel so real. I like to believe it's her, still with me, somehow."

"And she told you to give me this?"

"Yep. Last night. And maybe it was just a figment of my imagination, but I know she'd want you to have it anyway. She loved Runway, and she loved Chanel, so I think she'd want you to have it."

Miranda wanted the book. She wanted to take it and leave the store and never think about where she'd gotten it again. And yet, this girl, with the paint splatter and the belief her grandmother was still with her after death, she made her stop and think. "I can't –"

"It's a gift. It's rude to not accept a gift. Besides, what am I supposed to do with that book? It would just lay around collecting dust. But you… I don't know… but I know it'd be in better hands if it were yours. So take it."

Miranda opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of the bell, signaling someone entering the door.

"Andy! Andy! I got an A on my English test on –" Cassidy, already changed out of her Dalton uniform, skidded to a stop the instant she saw her mother standing in the store. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mother just stopped by to pick up a book I thought she'd enjoy." Andy cut in.

"The better question is what you are doing here, young lady. Shouldn’t you be in school?"

Cassidy looked at her as though she'd grown another head. "School's out, mom. It's nearly 4."

Miranda was shocked. She didn't think it was that late at all.

"Cass, there are some of those muffins you like so well left over at the café corner. Why don't you go grab one and then you can tell me about your test."

Cassidy looked between her mother and Andy and then nodded. "Okay Andy."

Once she was away, Andy turned back to Miranda. "I hope it's okay that she's here."

"How often does she come here?" Miranda watched as Cassidy knelt on the ground and played with the dog, who seemed to know her quite well.

"She started coming in about two months ago. At first it was just randomly, a time here or there. For the past three weeks though, it's been basically every day after school. She comes in, stays for a few hours, and then goes home."

Miranda was surprised by this. She had not known this at all. Cassidy had been home every night when she got home, but lately that was always past 9. Her homework was always done and Miranda had thought nothing of it. "Why does –" the sound of her phone ringing cut off whatever else was going to come out of her mouth.

Of course something else had to have gone wrong, and of course she was needed back at the office because she was the only capable person there. She ended the call with a "That's all", and turned to look at her daughter, still playing with the dog, and Andrea, still standing there with a smile on her face.

"Sounds like you need to get going." She smiled disarmingly. "Please, keep the book. Consider it a gift from an insane idiot."

Miranda found that the words 'thank you' were on the tip of her tongue and quickly bit them back. Instead she nodded once and turned and walked out the door without another word.

Andy watched her go. Then she turned to Cassidy. "So… is she always like that?"

**

"My god, Miranda, where ever did you find this?" Karl asked, looking at the book in wonder.

"So it is the real thing then? They really are Coco's sketches?"

"I'd bet my life on it." He was practically drooling over the pages. "How did you get your hands on these?"

"They were a gift. From an… acquaintance."

Karl's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Must be some acquaintance."

Miranda said nothing, but an image of a paint smudged Andrea, cheeks burning red, flashed through her mind.

"How much do you want for them, Miranda?"

"Excuse me?"

"How much do you want for them? I must have them."

Miranda reached over and took the book away from Karl. "I hate to disappoint you my friend, but they were a gift. It is rude to not accept a gift. And it is even more rude to sell a gift to someone else."

**

"Whatcha working on now?"

A container of Chinese takeout was placed in front of her face as the couch sagged from the new weight added to it. Andy let the pad fall to her lap and turned, leaning back against the masculine chest. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and popped some snow peas into her mouth. "I don't know, actually."

He looked over her shoulder, down at the sketchbook. A pair of eyes were looking back at him. They were intense, and she had started to shade them in a shade of icy blue.

"Intense. Mysterious. Rather sexy. Anyone I know?" He asked her teasingly.

"No. No one you know. No one I know, really, either."

**

For the rest of the week and all of the next, Andrea didn't see Miranda Priestly again. She told herself this was a good thing, that she had already made enough of an idiot out of herself in front of the woman and that she certainly didn't need any other opportunities. Cassidy continued to show up at the store every day after school though.

Andy looked forward to their meetings, enjoying the time to talk to the young girl about books and other things. Andy understood a lot of what Cassidy was going through, and was glad to be there to listen and help when she could. Cassidy was studying pretty hard, as the last week of school was coming up and she had finals.

However, just because Miranda didn't show up in person, didn't mean that her presence wasn't still felt. Andy had always been a rather good artist, at least according to other people. They said she had real talent and that it was something she should pursue. But she had always been rather shy and self-conscious and honestly didn't think she was that good. She enjoyed it though, and so she often would sketch or paint things in her free time. Often there would be scenes from nature or around the city. Sometimes she would sketch people, children playing in the snow, that sort of thing. But lately, ever since her last encounter with Miranda, everything she sketched seemed to go back to the woman.

She was, at the present moment, working on a sketch of a desk, covered with issues of Runway, with a pair of glasses on top. In the picture of Miranda in Runway, her glasses had been lying on the desk beside her. It was, in her mind, a doodle at best.

"Andy! That's so good." Lily said, looking over her shoulder at the sketch. "Why won't you show your work? People would love it!"

Andy shook her head. "You have to say that. You're my best friend."

"I'm not just saying this. Andy, listen to me. You've got talent girl. You've got sketch books upon sketch books to prove it. Why won't you just go out on the limb and put some stuff out there?"

"I do put stuff out there. There's stuff out in the window right now." Andy motioned towards the display window. Lily just stared at her.

"I'm not an artist. I'm just… someone who likes to draw in their spare time."

"No, girl, you are good. Hell, there are artists showing at the gallery right now that aren't half as good as you."

Andy just smiled. "It's a hobby, Lil. That's all."

And the subject was dropped.

**

It had been just about two weeks since Miranda had last been to 'Sachs of Books'. She intended not to ever go there again, although she did find Andrea cropping up into her thoughts at the most unexpected of moments… mainly when she saw someone wearing Chanel, or when she found a paint smudged Caroline, or Cassidy reading a book, or when she looked at the sketch book. Which had been, over the course of the weeks, quite frequently. But she pretended that it didn't happen, and went about her business.

Today she was supposed to have a showing that was scheduled to last for two hours. It had lasted for fifteen minutes, fifteen long minutes, before she had left the studio. The designs had been awful and she refused to sit through any more. She had gotten into the car and told Roy to drive. She was sure her staff was frantically trying to arrange things, fix things, but at that moment, she didn't care.

They were driving rather aimlessly when she saw it. Of course they would have to drive this way. She considered just looking away, ignoring it, and allowing Roy to continue on his way. But something stopped her from doing that. "Stop the car, Roy."

Roy did as he was told, maneuvering the car into a parking spot just in front of Sachs of Books. Miranda opened the door of the car. "Wait here, Roy." She told him as she climbed out of the car.

She noticed that the display window had been finished, the piles of books now arranged by the beach chair, with the toys placed around strategically. A large canvas sat at one of end of the window, housing a rather detailed and well painted picture of a woman, reclining at the beach under a red umbrella. A red umbrella the same shade as the paint that had been smudged on Andrea's forehead. At the other end of a window, another canvas had a checklist of 'Beach Bound Books'. The display had not turned out half bad.

There were no dog barks to greet her when she entered this time, just the bell jingling. Andrea was sitting on the stool, leaning over a notebook of some kind, running her pencil over it. She looked up at the sound of the bells.

"Miranda!" She quickly stood from her stool and headed around the counter. Today she was back to wearing the black slacks and another button up shirt, but her hair was down, falling in waves.

Miranda was at a loss. She had no idea why she was there or what she was supposed to say. "No dog greeting service today?"

Andrea smiled. "Coco's actually in the back, taking her after lunch nap."

"Coco."

"I told you… my grandma loved Chanel."

"So Coco was her dog."

"Yes. Although… she was mine too. She was ours."

Miranda inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment of what Andrea was saying.

"Um, but, you're not here to talk about Coco, I'm guessing."

"No. No, I'm not." Miranda didn't know what she was here for.

"Well, what can I help you with?"

And suddenly, it popped into her head. "I have to go a birthday party for the chairman of Elias-Clarke. I need a present for him. I thought you would be able to help me find a suitable book. The book that is his."

Andrea's body, which had been tense since she had arrived, instantly relaxed. "Absolutely! I'd be happy to. Do you have any ideas at all?"

"None."

Andrea chewed her lip. "I take it that the two of you don't get along very well."

"Irv is… a rather disagreeable man."

"Of course." Andy grinned. "What else can you tell me about him?"

"He is frugal, annoying, and a thorn in my side. He does not understand what it takes to make a magazine great." Miranda sighed just slightly. "He is very interested in the French lately."

Andy could tell that there was more to what Miranda had said about the French. She considered for a few moments, her mind going over a few things. Finally she nodded. She headed for a book shelf towards the back. "I think this will be the perfect thing."

Miranda took the book from her. It was older, leather bound, with an embossed title. 'Les Miserables'. Miranda's eyebrow raised.

"He apparently makes you miserable." Andy started with a grin. "Plus, it's a classic novel, and it seems to me that he's a man that likes to surround himself with classic things, just to show them off. This edition is written entirely in French, which I think he will enjoy. It will make it seem as though you think more of him than you do. And if he could ever read it, which he probably won't be able to, he'd learn a thing or two from it. If not, it's still a remarkable gift because it's such a rare, collectable edition."

"How much?"

"Seventy five." Andy winced, but it was a rare edition.

Miranda didn't even bat an eyelash. She just pulled four twenties from her purse and handed them to Andy. "Keep the change." She said and then turned and left, just as quickly as she had come.

"Bye!" Andy called after her.

**

"Miranda, this is brilliant. Where did you find this edition?" Irv asked, looking at the book. People were surrounding him, and he was making a great show of how old and rare the book was, how it was all in French, how he could add it to his collection now.

Miranda smiled. "Now Irv, you should know that I can't reveal my secrets."

"Well, it's fabulous Miranda. I've always loved this novel. I can't wait to read it."

Andrea's words came back to her. _'If he could ever read it, which he probably won't be able to'_. She smiled once more. _'He apparently makes you miserable'_. "When I saw it, I thought of you."

"Fabulous. Just fabulous."

**

Caroline was waiting for Miranda when she arrived home, holding a pamphlet in her hand. Upon inspection, Miranda found that it was for a summer course in art, and that Caroline wanted to go desperately. Miranda had no real problem with this, except with the fact that it was obviously something Cassidy would not be interested in.

"I can do something else." Cassidy pointed out.

"Such as?"

"Get a job." She replied quickly, as though this had been thought out in advance.

"You are 13 years old. Where, pray tell, do you intend to get a job?" Miranda asked, although in the back of her mind, she knew the answer before Cassidy ever spoke.

"I'm sure Andy would give me a job at the bookstore!"

**

Andrea was dancing with a young man when she entered the store. They were spinning around and laughing, Andrea's head thrown back, hair trailing along behind her. Miranda didn't know what exactly to do to interrupt them, but Coco solved that problem for her.

"Oh! Miranda! Hi." Andrea grinned, slipping out of the arms of the young man. He watched her as she walked over to Miranda, and then disappeared toward the other side of the store.

Andrea's cheeks were flushed once again. "So, how did he like the book?"

"Excuse me?" Miranda's attention snapped back.

"The chairman, Les Mis. How did he like it?"

"He loved it." Miranda said with a half smirk.

Andrea grinned widely. "I'm glad. So… what can I do for you today, Miranda?"

"Cassidy has announced her intentions to get a summer job. Here."

"Yes, we talked about it briefly the other night. I told her that she'd have to get your permission."

"To be quite honest, Andrea, I'm not sure if want her to work here or not."

Andrea motioned for her to follow her to a grouping of chairs in the center of the store. Andrea sat down and then gestured for Miranda to do the same. "I understand your concerns. Cassidy is young. I know there are laws and things about hours worked, all of that. I'm completely willing to comply with them. But I'm also willing to let Cassidy stay here all day with me and get paid for her 'work', if that's what both of you want."

Miranda looked at Andrea. "I can't imagine what work you would even have for her to do."

"Oh, I could definitely come up with things. I'm actually considering changing up a few things in here, moving some shelves, dividing sections. Cassidy could be a great help with that. And mainly, she'd be here just like my other friends are, to keep me company. The store isn't exactly the most happening place in New York." Andy smiled.

Miranda shook her head. "I just don't understand why she wants to work here. There are so many other options. It's her first summer staying here in New York in years. Normally the girls go with their father for the summer but,"

"He's going to be on his honeymoon this summer." Andrea supplied.

"Cassidy told you that?" Miranda was surprised. Cassidy hadn't spoken of her father's upcoming marriage to her at all.

"Yes. We discussed it." Andy looked at Miranda. "You have to understand, this really isn't about Cassidy wanting a job. It's about Cassidy wanting to get out of the house. It's why she comes here after school now."

"But why on earth would she want to get out of the house?"

"When your parents get a divorce, it's a really hard thing." Andrea started. "And it takes a long time for things to begin to feel normal again. In Cassidy's case, she's gone through two divorces, one of them very recently. Add to that the fact that her father is getting remarried… it's just a weird, difficult time in her life right now."

"Yes, but –"

"When I was ten years old, my parents got divorced. It wasn't pretty. There were a lot of fights. And my mom was the one who moved out of the house. So I stayed with my dad." Andy's eyes had glassed over slightly, reliving the past. "I would come home from school at night and it would be half an hour or so until my dad got home from work. And I would come into the house and it would be so quiet. So quiet. And my mom wasn't there. It was the strangest thing. I found myself lying in bed at night, hating the quiet, hating the house, hating everything. I lasted two days of summer vacation, staying in the house by myself before I couldn't do it any more. The next day I was on a plane to New York and I spent every summer since here in New York with my Grandma Eve and Grandpa Joe." Andy cleared her throat. "New York was a different place, a safe place. I didn't have to stay in an empty house, being constantly reminded of what wasn't there any more. I got to come here, I got to play in the shop and go to shows with my grandparents. It was the distraction I needed. And I think it's the distraction that Cassidy needs."

Miranda felt a slight lump in her throat. "She told you that?"

"We've talked about a lot of things. Right now, with you working late, her father gone, Stephen gone, and her sister spending time with her boyfriend, Cassidy just feels alone if she goes home after school. I think the same thing will be true in the summer. And I'm more than happy to have her here."

"I never meant –"

"Cassidy knows that." Andy assured, reaching out and taking hold of Miranda's hand. Just as soon as she felt the soft skin under her own though, she pulled back, realizing she was more than certainly overstepping her bounds. "She knows that you're very busy and that you love her very much. I think she's looking forward to being home this summer so that she can see you some more. But she's also aware of your job and that you'll be gone during the days. She just needs somewhere to go. And I need someone to help keep me company. So it's really a perfect arrangement for both of us." Andy smiled again, flashing her white teeth at Miranda.

"Alright." Miranda nodded.

**

It was the first time that Miranda had a free lunch hour in weeks. She had considered just staying at the office, eating her steak as usual, and having some time to decompress, yet still be available in case of emergency. But after hearing the way the phones were ringing off the hook in the outer office, she had been too annoyed and instead had left the building, climbing into the car and giving Roy an address that she was surprised she remembered.

It was the end of the second week that Caroline had been attending her art class and Cassidy had been working at the book store. She had made a considerable effort to get home in time for dinner for the past two weeks, and although a few nights she had not made it home, the nights that she did had done wonders for her relationship with the girls. Both had seemed astonished when she'd walked in at 5:30 the night after she'd spoken to Andrea, but had quickly recovered and been excited to be able to eat with their mother. Things were decidedly less tense, and she felt as though she now knew what was going on with her children. Caroline was quite happy to talk about her art class and Cassidy was beginning to open up about the store, telling little tidbits about her day and about the books she and Andrea were reading and discussing.

Still, Miranda was curious as to what went on at the bookstore during the day, which is why she found herself entering it now.

She was met with the sight of Andrea and Cassidy, sitting on either side of the counter, grilled chicken salads in front of them, apparently playing some sort of game.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Cassidy said as she finished chewing.

"Hmm… S. Oh, Slaughterhouse Five."

"E. E? Umm… oh, oh! Effi Briest."

"Cheater!" Andy laughed. "You were organizing the Es earlier." Cassidy just grinned. "Okay, T. The Taming Of The Shrew."

"W. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Andy laughed at that one. "Wonder where you got that one? Hmm… Z. Zeno's Conscience."

"E again." Cassidy looked smug. "Emma."

"Nice. A. Animal Farm."

"M. Mrs. Dalloway." Miranda spoke up, causing both women to turn and look at her.

"Mom!"

"Miranda."

She moved closer to them. "Hello darling," she kissed Cassidy's cheek. "Andrea."

"Hello."

"What are you doing here, Mom?" Cassidy asked.

"I had my lunch hour free, so I thought I would stop in and see how you were doing."

"Oh, did you not have lunch yet Miranda? I can call the restaurant and see if they can deliver another salad or something. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, I'm sure Nate wouldn't mind." Cassidy said in a teasing voice before bursting into giggles.

Andy just smiled but her cheeks went slightly pink. Miranda wondered who this Nate was. Was it the man she'd walked in on Andrea dancing with? "No, that's quite all right." She looked at Andrea. "Thank you though."

"Sure." Andy grinned. "Well, if you're going to be here for a few minutes, then I think I will leave you two to it while I go take Coco for her after lunch walk."

Andrea disappeared into the back room and returned a moment later with Coco on a leash that had the Chanel logo all over it. She grinned and then headed for the door. "You can handle this for a few, right Cass?"

"Yeah Andy." She smiled.

"Okay. Be back in a flash."

Cassidy grinned as she watched her go. Miranda felt a slight tug on the corners of her mouth as well.

**

Andy brought Cassidy home each night after work. She felt like it was a waste to have the driver run back for Cassidy when it wasn't as if they were far from the townhouse anyway. So at 5, when they had deemed Cassidy's shift up, Andy would have someone else watch the store if they were around, or would just close up for a few minutes to walk Cassidy home. Then she would go back and stay until 9, when she usually closed up.

Since the day Miranda had stopped in unexpectedly over lunch, she had also been home each night when Andy dropped Cassidy off. Cassidy explained that her mother had been coming home earlier for a while now, eating dinner with them and talking, then going to her study to do some work from home. She and Caroline both preferred this to the way things had been.

She and Miranda usually exchanged pleasantries, brief hellos and 'how was your day's before Andy would be on her way. Tonight, they were just finishing their 'how was your day's when Cassidy cut into the conversation. "Mom, can Andy stay for dinner tonight?"

Miranda blinked, and looked at Cassidy as though she had never before heard that particular question. Andy sensed the sudden weirdness in the air and smiled at Cassidy. "Actually, Cass, I've gotta get back. But thank you, really. It was nice of you to ask. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Miranda."

Once Andy had gone, Cassidy turned to look at her mother. "What is wrong with you, Mom?"

"What?" Miranda blinked again, still trying to catch up with the sudden question that had been asked of her.

"You acted like a weirdo when I asked if Andy could stay for dinner. Now she probably thinks that you hate her or something." Cassidy rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs.

"Cassidy." Miranda's voice stopped her on the first landing. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Please, ask Andrea if she would like to come over for dinner tomorrow evening."

Cassidy grinned. "Awesome."

**

As soon as Andy got into the door the next evening, Cassidy took off up the stairs. Miranda wondered if she should warn Andrea of the impending 'twin test', but thought against it. She was actually interested in seeing if Andrea would be able to tell the difference between her daughters or not.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Miranda found herself apologizing to someone other than her children for the first time in a very long time. "I was just caught off guard by Cassidy's question. It was nothing against you."

Andy grinned. "Don't worry about it."

Just then, there was the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "Is dinner ready yet?"

"In just a few more minutes."

Andy turned to look at the girl who had just come down the stairs. For a second she thought it was Cassidy, but Cassidy didn't have freckles on her nose like that, and her eyes were just a shade lighter. "Hi, you must be Caroline."

Caroline's eyes widened. "How did you know it wasn't me?" Cassidy asked, coming down the stairs to stand next to her sister. Miranda looked impressed as well.

Andy smiled knowingly. "I just did." Sometimes it paid to be an artist who was interested in detail.

Dinner went well. It wasn't awkward at all, which was what Andy had feared. The girls steered most of the conversation, talking about their days.

"So you're taking art classes, Caroline?"

"Yeah. We're focusing on painting right now. I really like it a lot."

"Andy's an artist too." Cassidy added in.

"Really?" Caroline looked over at her.

"What? Oh, no. No, I'm really not." Andy shook her head. "I just like to draw in my spare time, that's all."

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to her. She's really good. And she doesn't just draw. She paints and stuff too. She does all the display stuff for the store."

Andy's cheeks were turning pink again. She glanced at Miranda as though looking for an escape. "So, Miranda, how was work today?"

Miranda let her have the escape. "Exhausting. You would think that planning a trip to Los Angeles was beyond all of my assistants' abilities."

"You're going to Los Angeles?"

"Yes. Just for the weekend. We're doing a shoot there that I'm going to have to oversee."

"We get to go along." Caroline said, grinning.

"Oh, that should be really fun." Andrea smiled. "Of course, that means you and I are going to have to find some reading material for the plane ride, huh?" She looked at Cassidy with a grin.

"Do you think you could find something for me too?" Caroline asked.

"Sure. I'm positive your sister and I can find you something." Andrea turned her attention to Miranda. "What about you, Miranda? Will you be needing any reading material?"

"I'm sure I'll have no time at all to read anything other than departmental memos and The Book."

Andy had heard about The Book from Cassidy. She just smiled and nodded, the wheels already turning in her head.

**

Miranda glanced over, taking in the sight of her children, both their heads buried in a book. Caroline was highly engrossed in 'The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft'. Andrea had sent the book saying that she was sure Caroline would love it, as it was a book about the actual art heist at the Gardner museum that detailed art history and the heist. She had also sent along a few other art books which Caroline had been very interested in as well. But it was The Gardner Heist that had kept her attention for the past hour and a half. Cassidy was nearly finished with 'Sarah, Plain and Tall', a book that Andrea had apparently been astounded to learn she had never read. She had sent along the rest of the series with her as well. They were for a younger reading level than her own, so she was making rather quick work of them, but did seem to be enjoying them highly.

Miranda sighed and closed The Book. She was beginning to get a headache from looking at all the layouts. Although she'd never admit it, she sort of wished that she had taken Andrea up on her offer of reading material. She opened her carry on bag to put The Book back in, when she noticed a package, wrapped in brown paper. She pulled it out, doing her best not to smile. She felt twin sets of eyes on her as she opened it.

Helen Mirren's autobiography was revealed, along with a card. She opened the card and read Andrea's handwriting. _'A little birdie told me that Dame Helen was one of your favorite actresses. Although you probably won't have any reading time, I thought I'd send this just in case. It's a fabulous read, and if you don't have time for that, at least check out the amazing photos. Have a wonderful trip. AMS'_

She glanced back over at the girls, but their heads were still in their books, although they each had small smiles on their faces when she opened the book and began to read.  



	2. Chapter 2

Andy was in the middle of a very lovely backrub when her phone rang on Sunday night. "Hello?" She asked, practically moaning at the feel of strong hands working away her tension.

"A-Andrea?"

Andrea's eyes widened as she recognized the voice. She quickly pulled away from the hands. "Miranda?"

"Yes."

"Hi. Um, hi." Andy felt suddenly nervous. "How was your trip?"

"It was productive. But there was a slight issue, which is why I'm calling."

"What happened?"

"Cassidy and Caroline spent one of their days at the beach. They apparently were not covered with enough sunblock, and both of them have ended up with sun poisoning. My doctor has examined them and given them some cream to help speed the healing process along, as well as some mild pain medication, but there is no way Cassidy will be able to come to work tomorrow. Or probably for the rest of the week."

"Oh my god. That is horrible. Are they okay? Do you need anything?"

"They're both sleeping right now. Cassidy was very upset that she wouldn't be able to come to the store tomorrow. But other than that, they're fine."

"Tell her not to be upset. Tell her that she's just supposed to focus on getting better."

"I will do that."

"Thank you for calling me, Miranda."

"Goodbye, Andrea."

"Goodbye." Andy hung up the phone.

"Oooh, Miranda, huh? Should I be jealous?"

Andy turned and started to laugh. "Yes. Yes, you should be extremely jealous. Especially because you have such high designs on me, Doug."

He pulled her down against him. "I do, Sachs. What do you think all those wake up calls and breakfasts and coffees and lunches are about? Not to mention the take out dinners, and the backrubs."

Andy giggled. "Oh, I don't know… maybe you're just trying to keep me happy so I won't kick you out or make you start paying rent."

"Damn. Caught me."

"You're just lucky I love you."

He smiled at that and kissed her forehead. "Seriously though, Andy, what's up with you and Miranda?"

"Me and Miranda? Nothing, why?"

"Darling, have you taken a look at your sketchbook lately? Because I have. And it's got La Priestly all over it. Literally."

"She's a beautiful woman. And powerful. She's an interesting subject."

"And is that all she is?" Doug waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh my god, Doug, stop it! Of course that's all she is. I'm friends with her child!"

"Which would make you a great candidate for stepmom."

Andy let her head drop down to his chest. "Stop it, stop it, stop it."

"What? Miranda Priestly's hot. Heck, I'd do her if I got the chance." That earned him a smack to the chest, albeit a light one. "And we both know that you like to bat for the other team as well… so why not pursue her? It's obvious you like her."

Andy raised her eyes to look at him. "Doug, this is Miranda Priestly. She thinks I'm an insane idiot at best. The only reason she even gives me the time of day is because of her kid. Plus, I'm pretty sure she's as straight as they come." The look on Andy's face changed. "And besides, I haven't… dated anyone in…"

"3 years." Doug supplied for her.

Andy's face fell at the memory. "Yeah. See? I'm rusty. It wouldn't work."

He just pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "Oh honey."

**

When the doorbell to the townhouse rang at 12:15 the next afternoon, Miranda assumed it was her lunch order. So when she opened the door to reveal Andrea standing on the stoop, holding a pile of books, she was quite surprised. "Andrea?"

Andy looked just as surprised to see Miranda. "Miranda?"

"What are you doing here?" They both asked at the same time.

Miranda's eyebrow raised. "I live here."

Andrea's cheeks once again flushed that lovely shade of pink. "Oh, yes, of course. I mean, I know you live here, it's just… I wasn't expecting to see you. I assumed you'd be at work."

"I'm working from home today."

Andy smiled. "I'm sure the girls really love that you're doing that."

Miranda shrugged. Andy chewed her lip. "Um, I just wanted to stop by and bring them these." She motioned to the books. "I thought that they might like some reading material to get their minds off the sun poison."

Miranda nodded. "They're asleep. I'll give them to them when they wake up."

"Oh." Andy's face fell just a fraction. "Of course. I didn't even think. I'm – I'm sorry. You're working from home and probably busy and I just waltz in unannounced. Um, here." She handed the books over to Miranda. "Please, give them my best."

Miranda looked at the stack. 'Mr. Popper's Penguins', 'The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe', 'The Snow Queen', 'A Christmas Carol'. Miranda's eyebrow raised at that. "I'm sensing a theme here."

Andrea turned, her hand on the doorknob. "Oh. Yeah." She smiled almost sheepishly. "I didn't think they'd want to be reminded of the sun so…"

"I'm sure that they'll love them."

Andy nodded and pulled open the door, only to come face to face with a man carrying bags from Smith & Wollensky. "Oh! I'm sorry." She moved out of his way.

As Miranda was dealing with the man, Andrea moved toward the door once again. She was almost out of it, when Miranda's voice stopped her. "Andrea." She turned.

The words were out of Miranda's mouth before she could think better of them. "Have you had lunch yet?"

**

At first it had been slightly awkward, sitting at Miranda's large dining room table with her, eating lunch and not speaking. The silence had been pressing and made Andy shift uncomfortably in her chair. Finally, she gave up and broke it. "So, you're working from home? What are you working on, if I can ask?"

"Fashion spreads for the next issue. No one on my staff seems to have any creativity anymore."

"Oh?"

Andy seemed to know all the right questions to ask to keep Miranda talking, allowing her to vent her frustrations. Nearly an hour later, when they had both finished eating, Miranda finally stopped speaking and looked at Andrea. The young woman seemed actually interested in what she was saying, and she was sure this was why she had been so willing to talk to her, as she usually never did things like this.

"I'm sorry. I spent the entire lunch talking about myself and…"

"It's your home. And your lunch. I was happy to be given the opportunity to listen. And be fed."

"Yes, well."

"Would you mind terribly if I looked at the layouts?"

Miranda looked at her, surprised. She had never expected for Andrea to actually be that interested in what she had said. She didn't say anything, merely stood up and inclined her head, signaling Andrea to follow.

Her study was an organized mess, papers and layouts everywhere. Andrea took it all in with wide eyes. "Wow."

"Yes. Quite." Miranda motioned towards a small table that housed a set of photographs. "This is the one that we're having the most trouble with. No one can seem to come up with anything more creative than vampires, and I don't care how well those books sold, I refuse to put vampires in my magazine."

Andy had to bite her tongue so as not to laugh. The look of disdain on Miranda's face was too hilarious. She moved to the table and looked at the pieces. She could see why the staff had suggested vampires, besides just the 'Twilight' craze. The clothes were gothic looking, dark, long, some with capes. But they didn't looked vampirish to her. Instead, they reminded her of… "Wuthering Heights."

"What did you say?" Miranda asked.

"Oh. Um. I said, 'Wuthering Heights'. The book, by Bronte."

"I know the book. What about it?"

"Well, I mean, I can sort of see where your staff got the vampire idea from, but to me, these clothes look like something straight out of 'Wuthering Heights'. I can just picture Heathcliff and Catherine wearing them, wondering about the moor." Miranda's expression was blank. Andy shrugged. "But maybe that's just me."

She moved to put the pictures down, but Miranda's hand clamped over her wrist, stopping her. "No. Tell me more about this idea of yours."

"Umm…" Andy really didn't know what to say. It was just an idea, an image in her head. "I don't know. I just… I could see the moor, at night, with the moon shining down, and fog. And a man and a woman, the man wearing this and the woman this, searching for each other, but being too separated to see one another. Or these… you could have Catherine's ghost at the window, looking in at Lockwood." Andy took a breath. "I feel like I'm not explaining this well at all. If I could just draw it I feel like…"

"Do it."

"What?"

"Draw it."

"Really?"

"If you think you can better express it to me through a drawing, then yes. Draw it."

"I don't have anything with me to draw. My sketch book and things are back at the store. And I really need to be getting back. But if I could maybe take the pictures with me…" Andy knew that there was no way that Miranda would let her take the pictures.

Miranda waved a hand dismissively. "Fine. But I need them back by tonight."

Andy was sure her eyes were about to bug out of her head. "Really?"

"Are you hard of hearing, Andrea? Take the pictures if you need them, but I expect them back, with your drawings, by tonight." Miranda's Ice Queen tone had slipped in, as though she was forgetting that Andrea didn't work for her.

Andy seemed for a second to forget that fact as well. She scooped up the pictures. "Of course, Miranda." And then, she was gone.

**

Andy spent the rest of the afternoon working on the sketches. The images in her head seemed to flow easily onto the paper, but she was worried about them being perfect for Miranda. Obviously the editor was frustrated by her staff, and if Andy screwed this up, it would not be good. She was doing this to try and make Miranda's life easier. She only hoped it worked.

"So remind me again why I'm doing this?" Lily asked from her place at the counter, looking over at Andy who was putting the finishing touches on the last of the drawings.

"Because you love me. And because I need to stay here. And because if I sent Doug he would probably melt into a pile of mush on her doorstep. And because this is important to Miranda."

"Which makes it important to you?" Lily asked, honestly interested.

"I – she's been really stressed lately by her staff and… I'm trying to help."

Lily smiled. "Honey, if you like her, it's okay to tell me. I know that you like girls, remember? And I have seen your sketches lately."

"Oh god, not you too."

"Andy." Andy looked up at her. Lily just smiled. "Would you give me the drawings?"

"Thank you." Andy said, smiling back.

**

Cassidy flung open the door to the townhouse, a wide smile on her face, which faded when she saw Lily standing on the other side of it. "Oh. Hi, Lily."

"Hey kiddo. Sorry I'm not Andy."

"It's okay. I'm glad to see you. I just thought…"

"Andy had to stay at the store. She asked me to drop off the pictures and sketches to your mom. Is she here?"

"Yeah, she's in the study. Come on."

Lily followed Cassidy into the house, looking over the girl as they went. Her face was red, and her shoulders, what she could see of them, were even redder, and blistered. "How are you feeling, kiddo?"

Cassidy shrugged. "It hurts really bad, but the doctor gave Caroline and I pain medication and that's helping. It just sucks because I wish I was at the store with you and Andy. I miss you guys."

"We miss you too. I know Andy does, especially."

They arrived at the door to the study and Cassidy knocked once before opening it. Miranda took in the sight of Lily with Cassidy, and although it was gone in a flash, Lily swore she saw the same disappointment in Miranda's eyes that had been in Cassidy's.

"Mom, this is Lily. She's Andy's best friend. She brought the pictures and sketches over."

"Andy said to tell you she's sorry she couldn't bring them back in person, but she needed to stay at the store and didn't want to wait until she closed up to bring them to you." Lily told her as she crossed to Miranda's desk and handed her the sketches and pictures.

Miranda said nothing, just took the sketches and began to look them over with a critical eye. She stared at them for a few moments, before she lifted her eyes to Lily. "Andrea did these?"

"Yep." Lily nodded.

"Just since she was here for lunch?"

"Uh huh."

Miranda said nothing else, just continued to stare down at the sketch. "She's good, huh?" Lily asked with a small grin, before heading out of the study.

"Very good." Miranda replied to the now empty room.

**

Andy had just dropped her purse on the counter and was heading to the bedroom to kick off her shoes when her cell phone started to ring. "Oh, shit." She hissed.

"I'll get it." Doug called, already digging the phone out of her purse. "Hello, Andy's phone."

"Who is this?" The voice on the other end demanded.

"This is Doug. Who is this?"

"Miranda Priestly."

Doug's eyes went wide. "M-Miranda?"

Andy came back into the room and quickly stole the phone away from Doug, knowing just by his expression who it was on the line. "Hello, Miranda."

"Andrea?"

"Yes. Sorry about that. I just got home and was in the bedroom getting undone, so Doug picked up the phone for me." Andy once again thought too late that she probably was revealing too much, but at least took comfort in the fact that this time Miranda could not see her blush.

Although she couldn't see her, Miranda could imagine the blush that was spreading over Andrea's cheeks, and it brought the tiniest hint of a smile to her lips. "Your friend dropped the sketches off to me."

"Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't drop them off myself, but I knew Lily was totally trustworthy."

"I am to believe, that you did these sketches in that short amount of time, without ever having seen those photographs before?"

Andy was taken aback. "Well, yes. I mean, I did. I didn't –" she didn't know what the word was, "cheat."

"They are very good, Andrea. And I'd like to use them, to show them to my staff. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No! No, not at all. That's why I – I mean I wanted to – yes. Please, show them."

There was silence on the line for a few moments before Miranda spoke again. "Thank you, Andrea." Her voice was softer than usual and Andy felt a warm tingle begin to work its way through her body.

"You're welcome, Miranda."

The line clicked and the phone call was ended.

**

Andy didn't see or hear from Miranda or Cassidy for the rest of the week. She missed the young red head terribly, and found that thoughts of Miranda were creeping into her mind more and more. She wondered if Miranda was still working from home, if she was still as stressed out by everything, if she had actually liked her idea for the layout, if she had fired anyone yet, the questions went on and on.

She tried her best to think of other things, to focus on her sketches, but found that they too were all in some way related to Miranda. Doug and Lily continued to gently prod her, both for information about her feelings for Miranda, and for her to show her sketches in a gallery. But every time Andy thought of that, she felt sick to her stomach. She simply couldn't do it. As for her feelings for Miranda, she was too confused to know for herself what they were, let alone to tell Doug and Lily about them.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Andy felt as though she was going stir crazy, so Doug and Lily offered to watch the store for a few hours while Andy took Coco on a walk through Central Park. Coco loved going on long walks and Central Park always managed to calm Andy's nerves.

Of course, as she was walking toward the park, she had to walk past the townhouse. She told herself to just keep walking, to ignore it, but soon found herself knocking on the door.

"Andrea?" Miranda answered the door looking decidedly more dressed down than normal. She was wearing a lightweight blouse and, Andy did a double take, blue jeans.

"Miranda. Hi." Coco barked her greeting as well. "Um, I was just on my way to Central Park to take Coco for a walk and I was passing by here and I thought I'd just stop to check on the girls and see how things were as I haven't heard from anyone for a few days and I can see that I'm interrupting your Saturday. I'm so sorry, I'll just be going now. Um, tell the girls I said hello and…"

Miranda looked amused. "Andrea?"

Andy blinked. "Huh?"

"The girls are doing much better. We reached the peeling phase about Thursday and they are almost entirely healed now. The skin is still a bit sensitive, but Cassidy will surely be ready to come back to the store on Monday. Right now, they are over at a friends' house."

"Oh. Good. Great! I can't wait to see her." A huge grin spread over Andrea's face. It was nearly breath taking. "Well, I've already taken up enough of your time so…"

"You said you were going to Central Park?" Miranda had no idea what compelled her to ask.

"Yes. Would you like to come along?" Andy, likewise, had no idea what compelled her to ask. "Oh, god, I'm sorry. I mean, you're obviously busy and don't have time for that and…"

"Yes."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, yes, I would like to come along. If the invitation still stands?"

"Yes! Of course, yes."

"Let me get my bag."

"Okay." Andy nodded, watching the woman go back into the house for her bag, and feeling her stomach fluttering for reasons she couldn't explain.

**

The walk in Central Park had been what could only be described as a turning point in Andy and Miranda's relationship. Andy had opened up about her grandmother; describing days spent walking in the park, talking about books and problems, being given advice and love. They spent long minutes at the Bethesda Fountain, where Andy and Coco both got very quiet, but very serene. Later, after they moved on, Andy had turned to her and said, "She was there today. I could hear her laughter in the breeze and smell her perfume. She loved it there. It was her favorite spot in the entire park."

Then she had blushed that lovely shade of pink and changed the subject, asking Miranda about her work. Once again, Miranda had found herself opening up and venting her frustrations to Andrea. The younger woman listened and only interrupted to offer witty interjections which made Miranda chuckle, or draw literary parallels which amazed her with their accuracy. She was so unaware of her surroundings while she was talking, that she hadn't even realized they had made it back to the townhouse and were standing on her steps.

"You are a very good listener." She told Andrea, who just grinned.

"Nah. You're just easy to listen to."

"Maybe I should pay you to listen to me, instead of my therapist."

Andy tucked her hair behind her ear. "Dr. Andy, at your service. Call me anytime."

Miranda smiled softly at the young woman.

"Well, I should let you get back to your Saturday. But um, the offer does stand." Miranda's eyebrow raised. "You can feel free to call me anytime. I mean, if you need to vent or… whatever. You know the number."

Miranda said nothing, just watched as the young woman and little dog disappeared down the street.

**

She had been determined that she would not call Andrea. She and the younger woman got along well enough, but she worried about encroaching on Cassidy's relationship with her, not wanting to take anything away from her daughter. But by Wednesday, she was honestly considering throwing people out her window, and she had not been home early for dinner all week. The only thing going right with the magazine was the layout which Andrea had envisioned, and she had dialed the number before she even realized it.

Andrea answered on the first ring, laughing and sounding slightly out of breath. "Hello?" was addressed to her, and then, to someone in the background, "Doug, stop it! Doug, no, knock it off!"

"Andrea."

Andy was surprised to hear Miranda's voice coming through the phone. She quickly motioned to Doug to pause the video game they'd been playing, and which Doug had been cheating thoroughly at. "Miranda, hi. What's going on?"

"I thought – but it sounds as though you are busy so I will just…"

"No! I'm not busy. Honestly. Please, talk to me."

Miranda took a breath. "I am surrounded by incompetence…"

**

The phone calls continued on from there, happening at least once a week, often times more than that. Andy always answered whenever Miranda called, and after the third phone call, she had convinced Doug to hook up her Bluetooth so that she could move about more freely while listening to Miranda.

Soon it began to happen that Miranda would call her from her bed, and would actually fall asleep while talking to Andrea. Andy always listened until she was sure Miranda was asleep and then disconnected the call.

When the July issue of Runway came out, Andy's Wuthering Heights spread was featured. And, in small font in the corner of one picture, along with the designer credits were the words 'Inspired by Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, available for purchase at Sachs of Books'. It was the first time that she called Miranda.

"Hello."

"You put a plug for the store in your magazine." Andy cut right to the chase.

"Andrea, I did no such thing."

"I'm looking at it, in black and white. You can't deny it."

"If there is anything about your store in the magazine, I assure you, I had nothing to do with it."

Andy knew she was lying, but she just grinned. "Well, whoever had something to do with it, I'm very grateful. And the spread looks fabulous."

"Yes, it did turn out rather well, didn't it? Now if only the same could be said for the spread I'm currently working on."

"I could look at the pictures, if you'd like."

"Mm. That would be… acceptable."

**

Miranda looked up as Andrea entered the study, holding pictures and sketches in her hands. "So?"

"Fairy tales." Andy grinned.

"Fairy tales?" Miranda sounded less than enthused. "You bring me fairy tales? Have you been spending time with my staff members, Andrea?"

"No. And I already know what you're thinking… fairy tales are overdone, everyone has done fairy tales. And you'd be right."

"And yet you bring them to me."

"Everyone has done the obvious fairy tales, the obvious references. But no one has done them quite like this I don't think." Andy handed the sketches over.

Miranda looked at the top sketch. "This is a woman in a fancy dress, in a castle. A princess, if you will. Groundbreaking."

"Keep looking."

Miranda turned to the next sketch. It was obviously a take off of Cinderella, but the prince was holding a Blackberry instead of a glass slipper. Interesting. The next sketch revealed a Little Red Riding Hood-esque scene in a forest but the Big Bad Wolf was actually just a 'bad boy' looking character, trying to lure the woman off the path. Next were two sketches that were a takeoff of Snow White. In the first, the woman was lying sound asleep on a bed, surrounded by not dwarves, but a husband, a dog, and children. The next sketch showed the Wicked Witch in front of her mirror, but rather than the actual Wicked Witch, it showed a very well clad woman, wearing bright red heels, holding a copy of Runway.

Miranda held up the sketch. "The Wicked Witch looks a bit familiar."

Andy smiled disarmingly. "The depictions of the characters do not necessarily depict the author's views of them."

"So you don't think I'm a wicked witch?"

"No. But I think you should use the image. It'll show your readers that you know your reputation and you're not afraid to make fun of it a bit."

Miranda glanced through the rest of the sketches. They were all in a similar vein, taking a fairy tale, but modernizing it. Some of the choices were darker, some simply more modern, and some were classic. There were probably over twenty sketches in her hand. Andrea had only had the pictures over the weekend.

"I had a lot of different ideas. I wasn't sure which way you'd like to go, so I just sketched them all out." Andy answered the unspoken question.

"You've got a lot of talent, Andrea. Have you ever considered showing your work?"

"Wh-what? I, um, no. I mean, well, yes actually, once a few years ago, but then… it didn't happen."

"It should happen."

"Really? I mean, you really think I should show my work?"

"If the rest of your work is as good as the sketches you've given me, then yes. I'd go to that showing."

"You would? Really?"

"In the time you've known me, Andrea, have you known me to say things that I do not mean?"

"N-no. It's just… I didn't know if you were trying to be nice or…"

"Have I ever tried to be nice?"

"You've been nice to me." Andy defended quietly.

Miranda didn't know what to say to that. "I do not say things to try to be falsely nice. If I have been nice to you, then it is because I wanted to be. And if I tell you that I would come to your art showing, I do so because I would. I have no interest in passing out platitudes to you to boost your self esteem, Andrea. I think you have talent and you should show it off. Whether you do or not is your choice. But if you choose to, I would attend a showing. That's all."

She was amazed when Andrea nodded once and then left the room, just as though she was one of Miranda's employees.

**

"Hey Lil? It's Andy. Did you still need another artist for that showing at your gallery next week?"

**

Miranda could tell something was going on with Andrea when she dropped Cassidy off the next night. She was smiling widely and seemed almost bursting with anticipation. "Andrea, how was your day?"

"Lovely." She smiled. And then the dam burst. "I'm going to be showing my work. Next week. Thursday and Friday night."

"You are?"

"Mmhmm. I took your advice. My friend Lily, she works at a gallery and she's been trying to get me to show my work for… years now. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And then, last night, well… you inspired me to go for it. Will you come?"

She looked like an eager little puppy. Miranda allowed a small smile to tug on her lips. "Yes. I will be there."

The smile Andy smiled was blinding. "Fabulous."

**

"I've found the perfect location for the fairy tale shoot," Nigel announced on Thursday.

Miranda looked over the pictures of the location and found that it would be perfect. A castle in Europe, with a wooded area behind it. It looked perfect in the pictures. "When?"

"Emily is taking care of travel arrangements as we speak. It's a ten hour flight to Germany. We're leaving on Tuesday at 1:00 in the afternoon. That will get us to Germany at 5 on Wednesday morning. We'll go from there. Scouting and preliminary setups on Wednesday, shoot Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, be home on Sunday."

"And it will be within Irv's budget?"

"As close as possible." Nigel smirked.

"Perfect. Emily."

The redhead scurried into the office. "Yes, Miranda."

"Confirm our flight to Germany, just as Nigel described it."

"Yes, Miranda."

**

It was only after Miranda had confirmed her flight for the shoot in Europe that she looked at her day planner and saw that her trip coincided with Andrea's showing at the gallery. She felt her stomach do a slight roll, something that had not happened to her since she had first started at Runway and had had to begin missing engagements with her first husband. It shouldn't have bothered her at all. She had missed countless events over the years because of things connected with Runway and she had stopped feeling guilty about it years ago. She would merely have her assistants call and make her excuses. Everyone got over it in the end. Yet when she thought about Andrea, she knew that this was one time when she would have to give her excuse in person.

**

The bookstore was nearly dark, save for a single light by the counter. The door had already been locked and Miranda found herself knocking on it. Andrea answered it with a wide grin.

"Miranda! Hi. What brings you by?"

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." Miranda had never been one to beat around the bush.

The girl's face instantly fell. "Oh my god, what is it? Is it Cassidy? Or Caroline? Has something happened? Are they ok?"

"No. No. Nothing like that has happened. Both of them are perfectly fine."

Andrea's lovely face relaxed from where it had been contorted with worry. "Oh thank god." She let out a breath. "So, if it's not the girls… what is it?"

"It's about your showing."

Andrea's brows furrowed just slightly, but other than that, her face remained impassive.

"Nigel found the perfect location for the fairy tale layout you suggested. But we have a very limited time frame. I have to go oversee the shoot, and it coincides with your showing. I'll be unable to attend it, as I will be out of the country."

She waited for the blow up, the anger, the tears, the accusations that had always come with broken engagements in the past, but Andrea's face never changed. "Oh." Once again, the young woman let out a breath. "Is that all? Miranda, it's your job. You can't help it. Heck, I would've been surprised if you'd been able to make it if you were in the country. I know how busy you are."

"Yes, but…"

Andrea smiled. "No buts. It's fine. You don't need to worry." She turned to grab her bag from the counter.

"Well, I know that you thought I'd be there and I do feel badly about taking away the publicity from your show."

Andrea turned around at her words, and her face was no longer impassive. "Excuse me?"

"Oh come now Andrea, you and I both know the sort of publicity your showing would have gotten if I had attended, and I'm sorry that I won't be there. But you can feel free to let everyone know that I would have been there if I hadn't been out of the country. I'll even issue a statement if you'd like."

It was only after the words were out of her mouth and she saw the way Andrea's face changed that Miranda had second thoughts about them. The young girl's eyes suddenly began to glisten in the low light of the store, and her expression was pained. "You thought –" she blinked rapidly and swallowed hard, "you thought that I wanted you there because… because what? Because of your name? Because of who you are?"

"Andrea," Miranda suddenly wanted to take it all back.

"Because it would bring me publicity?" Andy spat the word 'publicity' out as though it was the most vile thing she had ever said.

"Andrea."

"Is that what you really think of me?" Andy asked, her voice thick, as two treacherous tears made their way down her cheeks. "That I would use you to gain attention to my work? That I would – what? What do you think? That all of this," Andy waved her hand between them and then around the store, "that Cassidy and the sketches and… us! That it was all just some ploy to get you to come to my exhibition so I would get publicity?" Andy pushed past her, heading for the door, trying to get away from her.

"No." Miranda reached out and grabbed Andy's wrist, holding her in place. "No, Andrea. No."

Andy spun and yanked her arm out of Miranda's grasp, staring at her as the tears continued to pour down her cheeks. "I wanted you there because I thought we were friends. I wanted you there because you said my work was good. I wanted you there because…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the last sentence.

Brown eyes flooded with tears met blue and Andy felt a piece of her heart break off in her chest. "God. I really am an idiot."

And then she was gone, leaving Miranda standing in the dimly lit bookstore by herself.

**

She should have known. She should have never questioned it at all. People using her for publicity was a fact of life, that much was true. But Andrea had never once shown any sort of interest in 'Miranda Priestly', except to find out what was frustrating her and how she could help. It had always been just 'Miranda' that Andrea had cared about.

Andrea gave and gave and gave and had never expected anything in return. It was just who she was. It was why Miranda had felt comfortable talking to her from the beginning. She knew whatever she said to Andrea would stay between the two of them, that the younger woman would not sell her out. And yet, she had accused Andrea of just that only a few minutes before.

Andrea's tear streaked face flashed before her eyes and Miranda felt her heart clench. Her words had stung, not only because they had been so choked with tears, but because they had been true. Miranda had lumped Andrea into a category with everyone else in her life, when the girl so obviously did not belong there.

Miranda was jarred from her thoughts by the sound of the door opening. She looked up, hoping to find Andrea standing before her. Instead, she was met with the sight of the young man that she had seen in the store a time or two before with Andrea.

"Well, that explains it," Doug mumbled under his breath when he caught sight of Miranda. He cleared his throat. "Um, Ms. Priestly, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I need to finish closing up."

Miranda recognized his voice from the phone. Doug. She opened her mouth to say something, to question him about Andrea, to ask him to apologize for her, but she shut it just as quickly. No, this was something she was going to have to do on her own. She nodded once and exited the store.

"Jesus," Doug whispered as he watched her go.

**

The next day, a messenger arrived at the bookstore, holding a package wrapped in brown paper. "Andrea Sachs?"

"That's me." Andy came around the counter.

"This is for you." He handed her the package and left right away, just as he'd been instructed.

Andy's heart began to beat faster at the sight of the brown paper package. "Cassidy? What do you know about this?"

"Nothing, Andy." Cassidy said, and it was honestly the truth. She had heard her mother on the phone from the time she arrived home the previous night until Cassidy finally went to bed two hours later, but she could never tell what exactly it was that her mother was talking about.

Andy sighed and opened the package, revealing a card and three small hardcover books. Andy looked closer at them and her eyes widened. "Oh my god."

"What?" Cassidy leaned over, looking at the books that Andy was now holding as though even the slightest movement could make them disappear.

"Oh my god." Andy repeated, finally opening the front cover of the top book and then closing it just as quickly.

"Andy, what is it? What are they?"

Andy held the top book out to her, opening it to the title page. "Wuthering Heights," Cassidy read, but then her nose scrunched. "Wait a minute. This says the author is 'Ellis Bell'. That's not right. Emily Bronte wrote Wuthering Heights."

"That's right. But when she first published it, she had to publish under a pseudonym."

"Ellis Bell." Cassidy ran her finger gently over the old, worn page. "But then… that means… this is…"

"A first edition." Andy whispered, reverently.

"Holy shit!"

"Cassidy!"

"Sorry Andy. But still… holy shit."

Andy couldn't even scold the girl. 'Holy shit' was a pretty good reaction. There was no way that these could actually be the original, first edition three volumes of the novel, and yet… they seemed to be.

"What does the card say?"

"What?"

"The card." Cassidy prodded, pointing to the card, stuck between the second and third volumes.

"Oh." Andy carefully placed the books down on the counter, pulling the card out from between them. The handwriting on it was elegant. _'Andrea, I hope you will accept this as an apology from me. I was a complete idiot yesterday, to say the least.'_ Andy smiled at the exact same words that she herself had written to Miranda. _'I know that you would never use me to garner publicity for yourself, and I am deeply sorry that I even hinted at the idea. I have greatly enjoyed our friendship, and hope that I have not irreparably damaged it. I know that you are the person for these volumes. You have already proven that to me. Best regards, MP.'_

Before Andy could even appropriately gather her thoughts in regards to the note or the books, Cassidy was handing her an already ringing phone.

"Hello?"

"M-Miranda."

"Andrea?" Miranda sounded almost anxious.

Andy honestly didn't know what to say. "Apologizing with a book, huh? Where'd you get a crazy idea like that from?"

Miranda exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "A crazy book store owner that my daughter has befriended."

"Sounds like a real nut job." Andy chuckled softly.

"Mm. But a very good friend. One that is not to be lost. I apologize, Andrea."

"You must be very sorry indeed."

"I feel a strong sense of déjà vu with this conversation."

"Only this time the roles are reversed. But I'm not even going to venture to ask where you got these or how much they're worth."

"I had a friend who owed me a favor," More like twenty different friends, enemies, and acquaintances who owed her far more than just one favor, "and they are worth nothing more than the value you give them." Which was true. If they meant nothing to Andrea, then they meant nothing to her, and she would throw them into her fireplace.

"In that case, they're priceless."

She imagined the smile on Andrea's face and her heart felt at once lighter. "Am I to take it, then, that I am forgiven?"

"Yes."

It was as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Well then, I shall let you get back to work. Will you be around this evening?"

Andrea grinned. "That bad already, huh?"

"Worse."

"You poor thing. Yes, I'll be around."

"Good." And the dial tone sounded in her ear.

**

They fell back into their normal pattern, with Miranda calling Andrea and complaining and her listening and saying what she could to make Miranda feel better. For the next few days, it was as though nothing had happened at all.

However, on Monday when Andrea brought Cassidy home from the store, things were slightly strained. Miranda's suitcases were packed and sitting visibly in the foyer of the townhouse, which made Andrea smile sadly.

"I truly am sorry I won't be there."

"Its fine, Miranda, really. I mean, it's an important shoot. And it's my idea so…"

The silence between them was awkward.

"There's a six hour time difference." Miranda finally stated.

"Oh. Um. Yeah. Germany's ahead of us, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I mean, you can still feel free to call me. Actually, it'll be nice, because you'd probably be calling about the time Cass gets off work, so I'll probably be by myself at the store."

Miranda felt relief at her statement. She had been worried she would be unable to talk to Andrea while she was away.

"You're sure you won't mind?"

"Not at all." Andy smiled. "Have a good trip, Miranda."

"Thank you, Andrea. Have a marvelous showing. I know you will."

Andy just nodded and then left the townhouse.

**

Miranda once again found a brown paper wrapped package in her carry-on bag while on the airplane. It brought a large smile to her face that she quickly hid from the rest of her staff. She pulled off the paper to reveal 'The Complete Brothers Grimm', along with a card from Andrea.

_I figured with a ten hour flight, you might have some reading time. And what better to read on this trip than the stories of the Brothers Grimm? Consider them inspiration. I know I did. Have a safe and fruitful trip. AMS._

She had no idea how Andrea had gotten this into her luggage, although she suspected Cassidy had something to do with it, but she was thankful that she had. Ten hours was definitely a long flight. And this book would help pass the time.

**

The day, from the time they landed, was long and exhausting. When Miranda got back to her suite, the first thing she did after kicking off her heels was dial Andrea's number.

"Hello." Andrea answered.

"Hello, Andrea."

"Oh, hallo Miranda. Wie gehts?"

"You speak German?"

"Um, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"That's pretty much the extent of what I remember."

Miranda chuckled at that. "And what if I had begun to spout off to you in German?"

"I would've listened. And then asked for a translation." Andy giggled. "Do you speak German, Miranda?"

"Mmm. A bit. I'm not as fluent in it as I am in other languages, but I know enough to get through."

This information was not surprising to Andrea. She had been almost certain that Miranda could speak German, at least a little bit. She just seemed like the kind of woman who would be able to speak many different languages. "So, how is Germany? In English, if you don't mind."

Miranda told Andy about the day, the shooting sites and how they seemed to be perfect, the camera men and models and how they had driven her crazy throughout the day, the issues she had with her staff. When she finally trailed off there was a long pause. She assumed that Andrea was waiting to see if she had fallen asleep, so when the younger woman's voice came through softly, she was surprised.

"I wish…" Andy whispered, but then trailed off.

"What, Andrea? What do you wish?" Maybe she was just imagining it, but Miranda's voice sounded different… wistful maybe. Or probably exhausted from her long day.

Andy swallowed hard. "I wish you were here. To see the exhibit." She tacked on quickly at the end.

'I wish I were too,' Miranda thought, but did not voice the words aloud. "The girls will be there. They'll tell me all about it. And I'm sure it won't be your last exhibition."

Andy felt a slight surge when Miranda said it wouldn't be her last exhibition. But she was still upset that Miranda would be missing it. "Yeah. Well, anyway, you're tired, so I should let you get to sleep." She hoped that her voice wasn't too choked. She didn't even know why she cared so much that Miranda wouldn't be there.

"Andrea…"

"Goodnight Miranda." And with that Andy hung up the phone.

Miranda was left with just the dial tone and the memory of Andrea's choked voice.

**

"You should be here." Was the statement that greeted Miranda when she answered her phone. It was only a few minutes after Andrea's call and she had answered on the first ring, thinking perhaps it was Andrea calling her back. But it wasn't.

"What?"

"You should be here." Came the repeated phrase and this time Miranda picked out Cassidy's voice. "She was so excited, she wanted you to be here, and instead you're in stupid Europe for a stupid photo shoot."

"Cassidy."

"You've been different lately. Putting us before Runway. Coming home for dinner, taking us places with you, being normal. Being happy again. I thought you and Andy were supposed to be friends."

"We are."

"Then why are you there, when you're supposed to be here?"

"Cassidy, I've already explained to you how important this shoot is. I also explained it to Andrea, and she understood. I don't understand why you can't."

Cassidy rolled her eyes, and even though she couldn't see her daughter, Miranda knew she did it. "You don't get it at all, do you?"

"I understand that you are upset, darling, but –"

" _I'm_ not upset." Cassidy sighed dramatically into the phone. " _Andy's_ the one who's upset."

"Andrea's upset?" Miranda recalled the younger woman's tears in the bookstore that night and felt her heart clench.

"She acts like she's not. She smiles and pretends it's all fine, and talks about how excited she is and how much she's looking forward to Caroline and me seeing her work. But whenever anybody talks about you, she gets this really sad look on her face. She wanted you to be here. She only did this for you. And you picked some stupid photo shoot over her."

"I didn't pick the photo shoot over Andrea." Miranda tried to protest, but it was to no avail. For the second time that evening, Miranda was hung up on.

**

By the time she next spoke to the girls, which was early the next morning for them and late afternoon for her, Cassidy was not speaking to her. Caroline promised she would take lots of pictures that evening and send them to Miranda by email, but Cassidy refused to come to the phone, or even to say 'I love you'. It hurt Miranda far more than she'd ever thought it would. But the battle lines had apparently been drawn, and Cassidy was firmly in Andrea's corner. As much as it hurt, it also warmed Miranda, to think of the relationship between Cassidy and Andrea. Without Andrea, she was sure she would have no relationship at all with her daughter.

The day was long and miserable. She was surrounded by incompetence, made only worse by the facts that one of her children was not speaking to her and that no matter what anyone did - the models, the photographers, or her staff members - none of the shots came out looking even remotely close to the gorgeous pictures Andrea had sketched.

The castle was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the one Andrea had drawn. The wooded area they had found should have been perfect, was perfect according to everyone else, but paled in comparison to the haunting yet captivating woods Andrea had placed on the page. None of the models could convey the emotions that shone through on Andrea's models. Even the actual clothes lacked the color and vivacity that Andrea had given them.

Finally, around dinnertime, Miranda thrust the drawings into Nigel's hands. "Make the photographs look like those. Is this too difficult? Am I reaching for the stars? I don't think so." With that, she left the site and headed back to her hotel.

**

Her room service dinner was delivered at 6, which meant that in New York, it was noon. She was tempted to call the book store and speak with Andrea. Perhaps Andrea could put her phone on speaker and then they could play the book game with Cassidy. If Cassidy would even speak to her.

She picked up her cell phone and began to dial the number but quickly closed the phone. This was ridiculous. She had called Andrea many times before, and the girl had also called her on a number of occasions. Why shouldn't she call her now? She should wish her luck at the showing tonight. She knew that Andrea was nervous about it. But each time she picked up the phone, she ended up closing it before she could dial the full number. She still felt as though she was on shaky ground with Andrea since the night in the bookstore.

She had just put her phone down for about the tenth time when there was a knock on the door of her suite. A minute later, Nigel was standing in front of her, holding up Andrea's sketches. "I hate to break this to you, Miranda, but no matter what we do, we will never have pictures that come out looking like this."

He tossed the sketches onto the table, and Miranda nearly stopped breathing when it looked as though they might slide into the food. Luckily, they stopped short of it. "They're too perfect. The clothes don't even look that good in real life. Sorry darling, but if you want pictures as good as this, you're going to have to print those in the magazine."

He left without another word. Miranda gathered the sketches up and moved to place them with the other sketches Andrea had done, tucked into the back of Coco Chanel's sketchbook. They seemed to fit there.

**

Doug entered the apartment to find Andy pacing around the living room wearing a beautiful, black vintage Chanel dress.

"Damn girl. If I were straight, you would be in so much trouble right now." He teased. Andy just continued pacing, as though she hadn't heard him. "Hey, whoa, Andy, what's going on?"

Andy looked up at him then. "Oh, Doug, hi."

"Hi. Honey, what's going on?"

She ran a hand through her hair before speaking again. "I'm thinking of going back to school."

"What?" Doug was utterly confused.

"I'm thinking about going back to school." Andy repeated.

"Okay. Honey, where is this coming from?"

"I've been thinking about it a lot lately and… I think I'm going to go back to school." Andy took a breath. "Law school."

"Law school? Andy, are you kidding me? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe my parents were right. Maybe I should've been a lawyer. I mean, I could be a good lawyer, right?"

Doug grabbed Andy's shoulders and held her still to look at her. Her eyes were foggy, as though she was in a daze. "Baby, you hated the idea of being a lawyer. Hated it. Remember?"

She blinked, and her eyes cleared just slightly. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. But I mean… I could go back and finish my journalism degree."

"You could, yeah." Doug continued to hold her in place. "Andy, what is going on? Why are you talking this way?"

"I can't keep… I can't keep doing this." Andy waved her hand in the air. "I mean, what am I even doing that is worth while in life?"

"You're running a bookstore, you're showing your art at a gallery tonight. Andy, what is going on?"

"I can't keep living here, living off Grandma Eve's money. That's all I'm doing. I'm just living off what she left me. I'm not earning any more, I'm not doing anything… I'm just…"

"You're running the bookstore that she loved. That you love."

"It was a dream. It was a fairy tale. What did I think was going to happen? That I could just keep living this way, that I could run the store and draw and display them and… and what? What did I think I was going to accomplish? That she was going to see the drawings and fall madly in love with me because of them? No. It's not going to happen. It's all just one big fucking fairy tale, and it has to stop."

"Andy!"

"Grandma Eve isn't coming back. And Miranda isn't here, she's in Europe, doing her job, and she only thinks of me as a friend and she didn't even call today because there are obviously far more important things than me and I don't know why I ever thought for a second that I could be on her radar and… it's time I grew up and realized that. I need to stop living in this storybook world and go out into the real world. No more bookstore. No more sketches. No more Miranda."

Doug's heart broke for her. "That's not really what you want, is it sweetheart?"

"I don't know! I don't. I don't know anymore, Doug. I don't know." Tears were now pouring down her cheeks. Doug pulled her to him, and she wrapped her arms around him, clinging tightly to him, her tears soaking his shirt. "I don't know what I'm doing. I just – I wish she were here. I want her to be here. I want her to be here."

Doug didn't know if she meant her grandmother or Miranda, and from the way she was crying, he wasn't sure Andy knew either.

**

Once she had finished crying, Doug had helped her to wash off her face, fix her hair, and apply her makeup. As they went about the process, he continued to assure her about her money. "Honey, as an accountant… and as your accountant… I can tell you right now that with what your grandma left you, and the way it's been invested and handled since then," at this Doug puffed up his chest just slightly, "you could continue to live off it exactly as you have been now and be fine for the rest of your life. Plus, have a decent amount left to leave to your offspring after you died. So you don't need to worry about that. And as for the rest of it…" he placed his fingers under her chin and moved her head up so she was looking him in the eye, "I think now is the perfect time to quote my favorite southern belle and say 'I'll think about it tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.'"

At that, Andy finally smiled. "Thank you, Doug."

"Anything for you, beautiful." He kissed her forehead, then pulled back and looked over her. "And don't you look it tonight! Where did you get that dress?"

Andy ran her hands down the side of the dress. "It was the one Grandma Eve gave to me to wear to the last art show."

"Three years later and it still looks fabulous on you. Lady Eve sure knew how to pick them."

"That she did."

"Well, come on darling, let's go show you and your artwork off." He held out his arm for her, and escorted her out of the apartment, glad when she giggled at his antics.

**

"Andy!" She turned at the sound of her name to find two red headed girls coming her way. Lily and Doug both watched as the first real smile of the night spread across Andy's face.

"Hi you guys." She hugged them both tightly.

"Andy, these are amazing!"

"Yeah. You are so good."

"You'll have to give me some tricks sometime."

Andy laughed. "There aren't any tricks. Or if there are, I don't know about them."

"Well, whatever. You're still awesome. We're going to go and check out some more of your stuff. We'll be back in a bit."

"Okay." Andy watched them go.

"See? We're not your only fans." Doug grinned.

"Not by a long shot. Andy, I've had people coming up to me all night saying how much they loved your work and they wanted your information and to know if the paintings were for sale. You're a hit, girl."

"Really?"

"Really. Oh, gotta go. Looks like someone else is interested in your work." Lily said as she saw someone motioning to her.

Andy watched her go, then turned to Doug. "This is crazy."

"This is fabulous, darling. You're a hit. Just like I always knew you would be." He smiled at her. "A gorgeous, successful artist slash book store owner. I think that sounds better than a lawyer or journalist any day."

"You would."

"Hey," he playfully smacked her arm. "You know that Lady Eve would be so proud of you, don't you?"

Andy closed her eyes and took in a breath before opening them and looking back at Doug. "Yeah."

"Yeah." He repeated.

**

"And what are you three doing over here?" Andy asked, walking up to Caroline, Cassidy, and Lily who were huddled together by some of Andy's newer sketches.

"Just finishing up some business."

"Business?" Andy's eyebrows went up.

"Yep. I just bought that sketch." Cassidy motioned to a sketch Andy had done one day of her, curled up in a chair at the store, reading a book. Coco was lying on the floor, and her free hand was down, stroking the little dog on the head.

"And I just bought this one." Caroline grinned, motioning to the sketch Andy had made of the two girls. It appeared, if you didn't look closely enough, that it was just one of the twins looking into the mirror. But really, it was a separate sketch of each of the girls, looking at each other.

"Wait a minute, bought? Bought with what?"

"There's this thing, and it's green and made of paper and it's called money," Cassidy began teasingly.

Andy rolled her eyes. "I know that, but… where did you get the money? And why are you spending the money on my sketches anyway?"

"Well," Cassidy smiled, "I happen to be getting paid for hanging out with this cool person at this bookstore. So I used my money from that."

"And I have birthday money left."

"And we couldn't let anyone else buy them. That would be creepy, if they were hanging us up in their houses." Cassidy wrinkled her nose. "Besides, they're awesome, Andy. We wanted them."

"I would've given them to you."

"Nuh uh. We wanted to buy them."

"You two are too much. C'mere." Andy pulled them both into a big hug. "Now, shouldn't you be getting home? I'm sure your mother wouldn't want you out this late."

"It's not even 10:30 yet, Andy. We're good."

"And besides, she's not home to know we're out this late." Caroline said with a grin. She noticed that Andy's face dropped slightly at the mention of her mother being out of town, and she felt horrible.

The moment was interrupted by Doug, who came over with a good looking young man. "Andy, darling, someone would like to talk to you about your work."

And then, the smile was back on Andy's face, as though it had never left.  



	3. Chapter 3

Miranda was awake by 6:00 the next morning. She was always an early riser and hardly ever slept past 8:00. She didn't have anywhere to be until 9:00, but she had had a restless night. She tried to tell herself it was just jetlag, and not the fact that she hadn't spoken to Andrea the night before, that had her sleeping patterns all out of whack.

She checked her email right away, telling herself it was to make sure nothing had changed with the shoots, not that she wanted to see the pictures from Andrea's showing. But she was disappointed when there was no email from Caroline in her inbox. Her daughter had promised to send her pictures, yet they weren't here. Miranda did the math in her head. It was just after midnight back in the city. Did the lack of pictures mean that her daughters weren't home yet? Or had Caroline just fallen asleep and forgotten to send her the pictures? Or, was she now not speaking to her mother too?

Miranda left her inbox open while she headed for a shower, during which she convinced herself that Andrea would not be pleased to hear from her at midnight.

**

There was still no email by the time Miranda had to leave for the site, and she told herself that it didn't matter. The girls had simply gone to bed; she would get the pictures later in the day. She told herself that she didn't _need_ to see them right this instant. And so she went about her day.

Although Nigel had said it was impossible to make the photos match the sketches, it was obvious to Miranda that he had spent most of his night trying to come up with ways to do just that. He had added more lighting, which gave the clothes in the castle shoot more vivacity and sparkle. He had also apparently spoken with the models, because today they looked at least capable of emotion, something they hadn't the day before. He was still right, of course, the pictures would not match Andrea's sketches. But they were getting closer, and with post-production editing, they could now probably get pretty close to Andrea's ideas.

She had given Emily the job of obsessively checking her email every ten minutes. She had felt the slightest twinge of guilt when the realization that she would have to leave the site of the old castle, which had no internet access, and take a car down the road until she could get a wireless signal, had hit Emily. In that instant, before she managed to pull her face back into its professional mask, Emily had looked utterly exhausted and overworked. Andrea's words from the first day she met her rang in her ears, _"It seems to me that she's incredibly over worked. Perhaps you should give her a day off."_ Perhaps she should. But not now. Now, she needed Emily to do her job.

**

It was just after 4 in the afternoon, in the middle of the 'Snow White' shoot, which was becoming a great bother because of the children and dog factors, when Emily raced up to Miranda, out of breath and precariously holding a laptop. "It came," was all she managed to get out before Miranda snatched the laptop out of Emily's hands and headed off to a less crowded area of the castle to look at the email.

Hi Mom,  
Sorry I didn't send these last night, but after the showing Andy, Doug, and Lily took Cass and me out to an all night diner for some food. Andy said she was starving since she had been too nervous to eat beforehand. It was so much fun! And the showing was awesome. Andy's really, really talented. Everybody there really liked her work. Lily said it was one of the best showings the gallery has had in a while, and she thinks tonight will be even bigger because of word of mouth on 'the art scene'. I think Cass and I managed to talk Roy into driving us over again tonight. And if he doesn't want to take us, Doug said he'd come pick us up. Cara already said it was okay with her.  
Hope Europe's good,  
Caroline

Miranda tried not to focus on the fact that nowhere in the email had Caroline said 'I love you'. Instead, she focused on the positives. The girls were having a good time with Andrea, and Andrea's showing had been successful. She should have been happy for the young woman. Instead, she felt guilt for not being there pooling in her stomach.

She scrolled down to look at the pictures Caroline had attached. The first one was of just Andy, standing in front of a small display that had her name on it as the featured artist. She was smiling, but it was a smile that Miranda recognized – a faked smile. She had perfected it years ago, and learned to spot it easily. On Andrea it was even easier to pick out than on most people, because Andrea usually smiled so genuinely. It was readily apparent that she was just going through the motions for this picture.

She looked fabulous though. The black, vintage Chanel dress fit her perfectly. Her hair was twisted back into a bun, with some pieces of hair left down to frame her face. Her makeup, which was strange to see on her usually bare face, was simple and well put on, serving to highlight her features. Andrea Sachs certainly knew how to dress up when the situation warranted it.

Miranda continued looking through the pictures, finding more of the same throughout them. Andrea always looking beautiful, but always smiling a fake smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. It was more of a real smile in the pictures of her standing with the young black woman who had delivered the sketches to her – Lily, if she remembered correctly – and the young man who was often with her – Doug. But the only glimpse of the real smile was in the picture of Andrea and Cassidy. Caroline had apparently snapped it when they first entered the showing, because Andrea was hugging Cassidy as though in greeting. In that picture, the smile lit up her face.

There was only one picture left, and when Miranda saw it, it suddenly felt as though all the air in the room had been sucked out. It was obviously a candid shot that Andrea did not realize was being taken. Caroline had taken it from a position behind Andrea, so it was mainly the back of her that was visible. But she had managed to capture a moment when Andrea was looking to the side so that her face was in profile. Everything about the shot, including the fact that Caroline had made it black and white, made it look like a professional shot that could be in a museum somewhere. But it was the look on Andrea's face, the completely unguarded look that struck at Miranda's heart. The look of sadness that clung to Andrea's beautiful face on what should have been a very happy night for her made Miranda ache.

And once again, snippets of other conversations came back to her. _"I wish you were here. To see the exhibit." "She smiles and pretends it's all fine, and talks about how excited she is and how much she's looking forward to Caroline and me seeing her work. But whenever anybody talks about you, she gets this really sad look on her face. She wanted you to be here. She only did this for you. And you picked some stupid photo shoot over her." "I wanted you there because I thought we were friends. I wanted you there because you said my work was good. I wanted you there because…"_

Miranda pushed the lid of the laptop shut and stood up, going back to the room where they were still having issues with the dog. Miranda sent a glare his way, and suddenly he sat down calmly. At least someone around here understood her looks. She glanced at her watch. It was nearing 5. The flight to New York would be ten hours. She did the calculations quickly in her head. If she left at 5 she could be back in the city by 9 PM and still make the showing.

"Nigel. Emily." Both of them turned at the sound of their names and quickly dropped everything to come over to her.

"Yes, Miranda?"

Miranda dumped the laptop into Emily's arms. "Emily, I want on the next available flight to New York City."

"Wh- yes, Miranda." Emily managed to catch herself from asking Miranda a question.

Nigel did not. "What? Miranda, what is going on?"

"There is something more pressing that needs my attention back in the city. I am trusting that you can handle finishing the shoot here. Am I wrong about that, Nigel?"

"No, Miranda, of course not. But –"

"No, no. No buts. You will handle things. I expect these pictures to be finished on time and to my standards. I foresee no reason why they should not be. Do you?"

"No Miranda."

"Good. That's all."

Nigel quickly headed back toward the shooting area, determined not to screw this up.

"Emily. I am going to my hotel suite to get together what I will need for the trip back. I expect my travel arrangements to be in place in the next twenty minutes."

"Y-yes, Miranda." Emily stuttered out, but Miranda was already on her way.

**

On the ride back to the hotel, Miranda considered calling Andrea and the girls to tell them she was coming home. She decided against it however, because she wanted to surprise the young woman. She would have to pack something extra so that she could change on the plane. Emily would simply have to get her a first class ticket. Or perhaps they could borrow someone's jet. That would be even better. Either way, she could sleep on the plane and then change so she was ready to go straight to the gallery from the airport. Roy should be done driving her children by then.

When she got to the gallery, she would simply say that they had wrapped the shoot early. She wouldn’t tell Andrea or the girls that she left in the middle of the shoot. If it were to get out that this was the reason she was leaving the shoot… she was sure the press would have a field day. Emily and Nigel would perhaps wonder what the 'more pressing matter' was that she had left for, but neither would ask her.

She was pleased when they arrived at the hotel. It was nearly five, so it would probably have to be a 5:15 flight, but that would still get her into the city in time. Everything would be fine.

She pulled out her carry-on bag, filling it with a change of clothes, The Book, her files from Runway, her laptop, the sketchbook, and the book of Grimm fairy tales. Everything else in her room Emily would have to pack and bring back with her. It would be less of a hassle to just have the carry-on. She wouldn't have to spend time waiting on her luggage to arrive at the airport.

She glanced at her watch. It had been 21 minutes. Where was Emily with her travel plans?

Just as she finished the thought, there was a knock at her door. "Come in."

Emily came into the room, looking harried and rather frightened. Miranda's eyes narrowed. "What time do I leave?"

Emily took a breath, "Well, Miranda, you see,"

"What time do I leave, Emily?" She repeated, her voice deadly.

"The earliest flight I could get you on was one that leaves that at 11:15 tonight."

"Excuse me?"

"The trip to the airport takes half an hour, and a flight was leaving at 5. There was no way to get you on that one, and there are no other flights flying out of this airport until 11:15 tonight."

"I don't want to hear your excuses Emily. I gave you one job, one easy job. Get me back to the city. Now you are telling me that you cannot even get me out of this country until 11:15 tonight. That is unacceptable. Find another flight, another airport, another plane. I don't care what you do, just get me out of here. Or else you can find somewhere else to work when you get back to the city."

"Ye-yes, Miranda." Emily looked ready to drop over dead from fear and exhaustion. If Miranda wasn't so anxious to get home, she would have felt sorry for the girl.

**

Half an hour later and the verdict was still the same. There were no flights back to the city that Miranda could humanly make that departed earlier than 11:15. Emily had called airports all over the country. She had threatened and harassed. She had called everyone who was anyone that she could think of that might have a jet but those that were willing to send it for Miranda would have to do just that – send it – which meant it would arrive no sooner than the flight that was scheduled to leave. Emily had considered alternate ideas like trains to other airports and then flights, or flights to other airports with connecting flights but still, nothing would get her back into the city any earlier than 4 in the morning on Saturday, which was apparently too late for whatever Miranda needed to go back to the city for.

Finally, Emily had resigned herself to the fact that she would be fired, and headed back to Miranda's hotel room.

"When is my flight, Emily?" Miranda asked, before she even got through the door.

"I'm sorry, Miranda, but there is no other way to get you back to the city that leaves before 11:15 this evening. I have tried everything that I can think of and –"

"And apparently you didn't try hard enough." Miranda said, coldly.

Emily's eyes were filling with tears, but she blinked them back, stubbornly. "I'm sorry, Miranda. I booked you a first class ticket on the first flight out. It was the best I could do." She placed the plane ticket down on the table and turned to leave, already knowing she was fired and not needing to hear the words.

Miranda watched her like a hawk. She was livid. She had asked for one simple task – get her on a flight to the city – yet Emily had been unable to do it. And yet… she had no doubt that the girl had tried to get her on an earlier flight. She was sure that Emily had done everything in her power to try to find another flight, another way back to the city. It was not Emily's fault that there were no other flights. Still, she had fired people for far less in the past.

But, a little voice that sounded very much like Cassidy, reminded her, if she had just stayed in the city, or made the decision to go home last night when she had first thought about it, she would not be having this issue right now. If anyone was to blame for her not being able to get home in time to see Andrea's show, it was her and her stubborn pride. Miranda sighed, calculating in her head. She would be home at 4:15 in the morning. Andrea's showing would be over, another artist would be shown that night. But Andrea's art would probably not be switched out until that afternoon. Which meant that…

"Emily."

Emily turned, dreading hearing those two little words. "Yes, Miranda?"

"It has recently been brought to my attention that I have been working you too hard."

"No. No, Miranda."

"Oh yes. Yes, I have. And I am going to correct that, today."

"No, please." She whispered.

"After I leave tonight, you will need to pack up the rest of my suite for me. I want everything brought back with you when you come home on Sunday."

"Yes, Miranda." She said softly.

"Then, Emily, once that has been done, you are officially off the Runway clock."

"No, Miranda, please, I –"

"Until Monday."

Emily blinked rapidly. "Wh-what?"

"I know it is only the weekend, but I will need you back at the office on Monday. We can then figure out a time for you to have a longer vacation. For now though, the weekend is yours. Stay here if you want. Go back home. I don't care. Just be back to Runway on Monday."

"Yes, Miranda. Thank you."

Miranda waved away the thanks. "That's all."

Emily quickly scurried out of the hotel room, a huge smile painted across her face. Well, at least someone is happy, Miranda thought.

**

There was an unspoken rule among Lily Goodwin's friends and family that you did not call Lily for any reason between the hours of 1 AM and 6 AM unless someone was dead or dying. And even then, it had to be someone important enough in Lily's eyes to merit waking up. So when Lily's phone rang at 4:30 in the morning, her first thought was, "My god, who died?"

She scrambled to grab the phone, and answered it in the only way she could think of. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Lily?" A cool voice that she didn't recognize through her sleep-induced haze asked.

"Who is this?" She asked, rolling toward the other side of the bed so that she could grab clothes.

"Miranda Priestly."

Lily rolled right off the bed.

**

It was nearing 5 AM and Lily was standing in front of the gallery, tugging on her clothes. She was sure that somewhere in the depths of Runway, there was a manual on How To Dress When Miranda Priestly Calls You At 4:30 In The Morning And Tells You To Come Open The Gallery So She Can Look At Andy's Sketches, but she hadn't exactly been privy to that information. So she had done what she hoped anyone else in her situation would do – pulled on her semi-wrinkled but presentable clothes from the night before, pulled a brush through her hair, gargled with mouthwash and ran out the door.

As she watched a figure approach her, she managed a smile. Looked like Doug had done the exact same thing.

Her first instinct, after picking herself up off the floor and pulling on clothes, had been to call Andy. Andy would know what to do in this situation, or at least be able to handle Miranda. Lily had only had one meeting with Miranda, and it had been quick and rather intimidating to say the least. But Lily had gotten the vibe on the phone that Miranda didn't want Andy to know she was even back in the states yet. So Lily had called the next best person – Doug.

"You owe me. You owe me so bad." He said as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Please, you were probably dancing about in glee that you got to come and see Miranda." Lily rolled her eyes. She was not a morning person, if this could actually even be considered morning yet.

Whatever Doug was going to say was stopped as a black car pulled up. Lily swallowed hard, tugged once more on her clothes, and thanked whatever gods there were that her gallery had a strict policy about not allowing buyers to take home pieces when they purchased them, but instead sending them to the buyers after the showings were completely finished. She could only imagine the carnage that would've occurred if basically all of Andy's pieces had already been gone from the gallery.

She and Doug watched as Miranda climbed out of the car, and both of them took in a small gasp of air. It was nearly 5 in the morning, the woman had just had a ten hour flight, and she looked absolutely perfect. Not a hair was out of place, not a wrinkle was to be seen anywhere on her outfit. "Damn." Lily whispered. Doug only whimpered.

**

Lily opened the door and turned all the lights on, moving about the space, getting everything in order as it had been the previous two nights. Miranda stood just inside the gallery, her eyes scanning the sketches, saying nothing. Doug stood beside her, also not saying anything.

Finally Lily cleared her throat. "You can move around and look at them closer, if you'd like. I know that I'm not Andy, but I'm pretty sure that between Doug and I, we can answer any questions you might have about the sketches."

Miranda nodded her head and then moved forward, toward the sketch that was displayed first. Miranda recognized it as Andrea's grandmother from the picture she had shown her on their second meeting. It was a gorgeous portrait of the woman, looking forward, smiling, her eyes dancing with laughter. The title card displayed beside it read merely 'Andrea'. Miranda's brow furrowed, she looked back at Lily and Doug who were standing together, looking all together lost as to what they were to be doing.

"She called this one 'Andrea'. Why? It's her grandmother, not a self-portrait."

"In some ways, it is a self-portrait actually." Doug said. "Andy's always wanted to grow up to be the kind of woman Lady Eve was. That's her goal."

"Lady Eve?" Miranda looked intrigued. "I was unaware that Andrea's grandmother was royalty."

Doug smiled. "She wasn't. At least not officially. But to me, she was always a lady. The best of the best. And we," he motioned to Lily, "could never manage to call her Grandma Eve. So Lady Eve it was."

"But, as for why she called it 'Andrea'," Lily cut in, "it's because Andy was named after her grandmother. Lady Eve's real, full name was Andrea Evelyn Sheppard Sachs. She went by Eve, but she was completely tickled when Andy was named after her. She always called her 'my little Andy', and thought of her as the miniature version of herself. Andy says that's why she and Lady Eve were so close, because they shared the same name."

The next sketch was on a larger canvas than the portrait of Andy's grandmother. It was a scene, set in summer, of the Bethesda Terrance and Fountain. People were milling about by the fountain, but it was the fountain, right in the center, that took focus in the picture. It was an incredibly detailed sketch, and seemed to somehow capture the feeling that she had felt, standing next to Andrea on the Terrace the day she had walked with her. 'Washed Clean' read the title card.

"It was the first piece she finished after Lady Eve's death."

Miranda nodded to show she was paying attention and continued to move about the gallery. All of the sketches were beautiful. Some were just black and white, some Andrea had filled in with color. There were large canvases and smaller ones. It was an eclectic mixture of people, places, nature, and animals, but they were all wonderful and seemed to fit perfectly together.

It was towards the back of the room though, that Miranda was stopped dead in her tracks by what she saw. A whole grouping of sketches that literally took her breath away. She stared at the drawings, burning them onto her brain. She was almost afraid to walk forward, to look at them closer, for fear of somehow ruining them. They were amazing.

One of Cassidy, in a chair at the store, reading a book with one hand and petting Coco with another. It was, she realized at once, better than a photograph, because this moment had been captured and reprinted by Andrea, with her own unique take on the situation. It felt warm and comforting as she looked at it, making her want to crawl on the chair with her daughter, to go to that safe haven that the bookstore so obviously was for her.

The next, a full size sketch of her daughters, looking at each other. 'Mirror, Mirror' the card read, but Miranda could tell that Andrea had drawn the individual girls, had _seen_ the individual girls, and was trying to convey them to the public. It was shaded in color, showing Caroline's freckles and Cassidy's slightly lighter eyes. It was, without a doubt, the best portrait she had even seen of her children, and she decided right away that she was going to buy this.

"How much is this one?" She asked, finally moving closer to it, taking in all the tiny details that Andrea had captured, like the scar by Cassidy's ear.

"It was sold, actually." Lily said calmly.

Miranda turned on her suddenly. "What do you mean it was sold?"

"I mean, like most of Andy's sketches, it was already sold to someone during the showing."

"Someone bought a picture of my daughters?"

"Well, they probably didn't know they were your daughters." Doug added helpfully.

"Someone truly bought this?" Miranda tried again, as though by asking the second time she could change the answer.

"Someone truly did." She hated herself even more for not being there at the showing.

She shook off her irritation, she had no one to blame but herself, and focused back on the next two sketches. One was a triptych of images, simply titled 'Visions'. The first image showed a pair of striking blue eyes looking out at the viewer. Miranda recognized the gaze, as it was the one she saw in the mirror every day. The next was a desk, with issues of Runway stacked on it, and a pair of glasses, her glasses, lying on top. It was incredibly detailed, and Miranda found herself amazed at how an image of something she saw everyday and completely took for granted could be so interesting and beautiful. The final image was a pair of hands, sitting folded on a lap. Her hands. She had no idea how Andrea had managed to capture them so well, but looking between the sketch and the hands in front of her, she could see hardly any differences.

"When did she -?"

"The eyes she started sketching the day she met you. Finished them after your second meeting." Doug supplied.

"The desk she finished about a week after your second meeting." Lily added.

"And the hands she finished up the day Cassidy started working." Doug completed the information.

Andrea had been drawing her all that time? Had noticed those small details about her and managed to somehow capture them so vividly? Miranda felt her stomach flutter just slightly with the knowledge.

It was the last sketch, however, that left Miranda completely speechless. It was of her, Miranda knew it right away. There was no way it was anyone else. It was a side view of a woman, her, walking. Her head was thrown back, the hair cascading down her back. Only her profile was visible. She was wearing jeans and a blouse. Miranda knew the exact moment that Andrea had captured. It was when they were walking in Central Park. Miranda had been talking about Irv and Andrea had quipped, "Looks like he already read 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People'." It had been unexpected, and she had started to laugh, throwing her head back.

Andrea had captured that moment perfectly, without actually giving away who the woman laughing was. Miranda knew it was her, but if anyone else had seen the sketch, they would have never guessed it was her. It was in black and white, yet somehow Andrea had managed to perfectly convey the sun that had been shining that day and the way it had bounced off her hair. It was a moment of complete freedom from her mask as 'Miranda Priestly', and Andrea had chosen that moment to depict. She had had many portraits taken of her and even a few painted of her in her time, but never had she had one make her look that beautiful. She looked at the title card, and sucked in a breath. 'Memoranda'.

"That one is already spoken for, as is the triptych." Lily said softly, cutting into her thoughts.

Miranda turned to look at her. Of course it was. It was just her luck. "Did all of her pieces sell?"

"Almost all of them. More than half were sold the first day."

"So the turnout was good?" Miranda asked Lily.

"Oh, it was spectacular. Everybody loved Andy's stuff."

"Everybody? Even… Nate?" The name had been niggling at the back of her mind since the day Cassidy had giggled about him at lunch. She had considered Doug to be Nate for a while, but now knew that he was not, so she was interested in who exactly he was.

"Nate?" Doug began to laugh. "Where did you get Nate from?"

"I heard Cassidy and Andrea discussing him one day. It seemed as though they were… together?"

Lily burst out laughing, unable to hold it in anymore. "Andy and Nate? He wishes!"

"I don't –"

"Nate is a chef who works at a restaurant we go to fairly often. He has a thing for Andy."

"And does she… return said 'thing'?"

Doug laughed even harder. Lily smacked him. "Um, no. No, she definitely doesn't."

"He's not her type." Doug got out between laughs.

"Yeah, but Doug here wishes he were his." Lily teased back. Miranda did her best to cover her shock. So Andrea wasn't dating Nate, and Doug was… if she was to believe Lily… gay.

"Lil!"

"Oh what, you know it's true."

"Well, yeah, but…" So it was true. Doug was gay. Which meant that both people Miranda had thought Andrea could be in a relationship with, she wasn't.

"Did her parents enjoy it?" Miranda asked, trying to change the subject.

All the laughter stopped.

"Her parents?" Lily looked surprised at the mention, as though she had never heard the word parents before.

"Well, yes. I know they are divorced but surely they could come to see their daughter's art show."

"Miranda, Andy and her parents… They haven't spoken in years." Doug told her.

"What?" Miranda had had no clue that Andrea and her parents were estranged. But then, as she thought about it, there were a lot of things about Andrea that she had no clue about.

"Yeah." Doug looked at Lily, as though trying to figure out if they should tell Miranda about this or not. Lily shrugged and nodded her head. They both knew that Andy cared for Miranda, why shouldn't she know? "It all started, well, I guess actually it started when her parents divorced. After her mom moved out, she didn't see or hear anything from her for… two or three years."

"Even after her mom started contacting her again, things were still pretty strained between them. And then came high school graduation. The one thing that Andy's parents ever agreed on after their divorce was that they wanted Andy to go to law school. Both of them were lawyers, and they wanted Andy to follow in their footsteps. But it wasn't what Andy wanted at all. So when Andy announced that she was going to Northwestern to study journalism, instead of to Stanford Law, things got pretty heated on all sides."

"But, Andy stuck by her guns, and went to Northwestern. Which is where we met." Doug picked up the story. "It's also where she met Alex. Which led to all the problems. When Andy brought Alex home for Christmas, things reached the boiling point. Her mother told her that she never wanted to see her again, and her dad told her that she wasn't welcome back in his house."

"All because Andrea brought home a boy for Christmas?" Miranda was stunned.

"Not a boy." Doug grinned. "Alex stood for Alexandra, not Alexander."

Miranda felt her eyes bug out. Andrea was a lesbian? Andrea was a lesbian! "W-what?"

"Andy had been conflicted about her sexuality throughout high school." Lily explained. "When she met Alex, she fell hard. She called me and told me, over the phone, that she was dating a girl and was bringing her home for Christmas."

"Of course it didn't go well. Besides me and Lil, the only other person who supported Andy was Lady Eve. When Mr. Sachs told Andy she wasn't welcome back in his house, Lady Eve tore him a new one, right before she told Andy she was always welcome in hers. Over the spring semester, Andy and Alex broke up. Mr. Sachs told her that if she wasn't dating a woman, she could come back and live with him. But Andy knew who she was and she didn't want to live in a place where she wasn't accepted. So she transferred to NYU and moved in with Lady Eve that summer."

"I was already living here, so I was beyond excited that Andy was moving here. And she was honestly so happy here, living with Lady Eve. And Lady Eve was just as happy having Andy around. Her husband had died when Andy was a junior in high school, and Lady Eve was getting really lonely. Having Andy around, to help her with the shop, and just to be with her, it totally refreshed her."

"I had no idea." Miranda's voice was soft, her head spinning with the knowledge she was receiving.

"Yeah, well, once she moved here, things started improving a bit. Her second semester here she ended up meeting another girl named Kate. She fell hard. Kate was an artist too, and so by being with Kate, Andy started really becoming more serious about her art. Lady Eve kept telling Andy that she knew that was really what Andy wanted, not to be a journalist. But Andy was determined to finish school. She made it through her junior year before she finally decided to call it quits. Kate had this idea about them going off to Europe on a whirlwind tour, just seeing everything and painting and sketching it all. Andy fell in love with the idea too."

"She also fell in love with the idea of coming back after the tour and taking over the bookshop from Lady Eve. It was her other great love in life. Anyway, they made plans to go on this trip. Lily convinced Andy to do a showing of some of her work before hand. Andy was bursting with excitement about it, and Lady Eve… I thought she was going to explode with pride. And then…" Doug sighed sadly.

Lily cleared her throat and picked up the story. "The day before the showing, a week before they were supposed to leave for Europe, Andy came home to find Lady Eve on the apartment floor. She wasn't breathing. Andy called 911, but it was too late. She had had a massive heart attack and was gone before Andy even got there. Andy was destroyed. Completely. Lady Eve had been the closest thing she'd ever had to an actual mother figure and Andy worshipped the ground she walked on. And now she was gone."

"Andy refused to show her work, which was understandable. I had come into town to see her showing, and she was just distraught. I was supposed to be staying in a hotel, but Lily and I both ended up basically moving into the apartment with Andy to make sure she was okay."

"The day of the funeral, Kate told Andy she didn't think they were going to work out, and that she was still going to go to Europe. The bitch never even told Andy she was sorry. We've never seen her since, which is good, because if I did, I'd kill her on sight." Lily practically growled.

"Andy and her dad reconnected at the funeral, but when Lady Eve's will was read… she left everything to Andy. All her money, the apartment, the store, Coco, everything. Mr. Sachs pitched a royal fit at that, saying he was entitled to something as her son. But the will stood, and Andy got everything. Her dad hasn't spoken to her since. In the course of a week, Andy lost everyone that meant anything to her, except for Lily and me. It was horrible."

"My god." Miranda had to speak beyond a lump in her throat. She felt tears pricking her eyes, imagining Andrea going through so much pain and heartbreak in such a short span of time.

"Doug finished out his degree and then moved in with Andy. For the first couple months, it was really, really bad. We couldn’t get her to go out, she hardly ate anything, she cried all the time. And then she started to slowly recover, and she read those books by Allison DuBois, which were a godsend. She started having the dreams of Lady Eve not long after that, and once that happened, it was like a breakthrough. She started being our Andy again. She took over the store and had Coco and she was happy. But she hasn't dated anyone since then. And even though she kept up with her sketches, she refused to even think about the idea of showing anything ever again. Until you."

"Me?"

"I don't know what you said to her, but you got her to want to show her work, Miranda. And I want to thank you for that."

"I didn't –"

"You did more than you know." Lily smiled softly at her.

Miranda returned it. "I would like to see Andrea. Do you know where she is?"

"At home in bed. I can show you." Doug smiled. Miranda nodded and offered both Doug and Lily a ride home. It was the least she could do.

She looked back at the sketches once more, hating that she had missed the chance to have them.

"Miranda?" Lily's voice was tentative as she locked up the gallery. "The people that bought the two sketches of your daughters… were your daughters. And the other two sketches, the person who spoke for them… it was Andy. She wouldn't let me sell them."

"What?"

"The girls bought the sketches. Originally Andy told me not to sell any of those, but they insisted on buying them."

Miranda felt suddenly better. The sketches of her girls were going to her girls. And as for the other two, she would just have to talk to Andrea about them. "Thank you, Lily."

"You're welcome." Lily smiled. Miranda really wasn't all that scary. At least not at the moment.

**

"Andy, my love, there's someone here to see you." Doug called as he walked into the apartment.

Miranda looked around, taking it in. It was a large, spacious apartment, and she was sure that it was very expensive. It had a full kitchen, large living room, and at least two bedrooms since she knew Doug and Andrea didn't share one.

"Come on, babe, wake up." She heard Doug call. A moment later, he was back out in the living room. "She's not here."

"Not here?"

"She was here, sound asleep when I left, but now she's gone. Coco is snuggled in bed, but Andy's not. My guess is she went out running, or for a walk. She does that sometimes when she wakes up early." Yet another new fact about Andrea to tuck away.

"Well then, I suppose I will go." Miranda had an idea of where Andrea might be and she intended to go see if she was right.

"Miranda?" Doug's voice stopped her, half way out the door. She turned to face him. "I don't know what your deal is… what your plan is. If you even have one. But, I just… she's my best friend and I love her. I've seen her get hurt far too many times. I don't want to see that happen again."

"It is not my intention to hurt her, but…"

"But?"

"I'm a fifty year old editor of a magazine who works long hours, is in the spotlight, and comes equipped with two ex-husbands and two teenage daughters. I can't imagine that I would be Andrea's idea of a storybook ending."

Doug smiled at that. "If I've learned anything from Andy, it's that there are many, many different stories out there, all with different endings. To a lot of people, a twenty-five year old artist who owns a bookstore and comes equipped with a Maltese, a gay best friend, and another best friend who works at an art gallery, both of whom will never let any harm come her way, might not be the idea of a storybook ending. But you're standing here, in her apartment, at almost 6 in the morning when you're supposed to be in Germany. So I'm guessing that there's at least something there."

"How do I know she's not going to think this is completely crazy?" Miranda sighed.

"You don't. But you saw those sketches."

"It doesn't mean I'm the ending she wants."

"In the three years since Lady Eve's death and Kate's leaving, I have never seen Andy as happy as she is when she's around your daughter. And I've never seen her as content as she is when she's listening to you on the phone. You call her, and it's like the world stops while she listens to you. She just sits there, listening to you, with the most happy, content look on her face. I missed that look these past few nights. And I know she did too. Stories are being written every day. Sometimes you have to take a chance to get to the ending."

Miranda took in the words and nodded. "Thank you, Douglas."

"You're welcome, Miranda. Now go get her."

**

She found Andy just where she thought she'd be, sitting on the edge of the fountain, running her fingers through the water. She must have been deep in thought, because she didn't look up, even at the sound of Miranda's heels on the concrete.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Andrea's head whipped up and her eyes widened. "Miranda? What – what are you doing here?"

Miranda smiled at her. "I think the better question is what are you doing here? It's very early in the morning, Andrea."

"You're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to be in Germany."

"Do I look like I'm in Germany, Andrea?"

"N-no. But I –"

"I realized, albeit too late, that I was missing something very important here. I tried to make it back on time but… that didn't happen."

"You did? You tried?"

Miranda nodded.

"But – but why?"

"The minute I saw the pictures Caroline sent me, I knew I was missing something incredibly important." Miranda studied the younger woman. "You were faking your smiles."

"What?"

"In all the pictures but the one of you and Cassidy, you were faking your smiles. I know, because I myself am very good at doing the same thing."

Andrea looked down at the water rippling beneath her fingertips.

"You were sad. And maybe this is being conceited, but I think it was because I wasn't there. Or at least, partially because of that."

Andy looked up at Miranda. "Why do you say that?"

Miranda did not answer her question. "That night in the bookstore, you told me you wanted me at your showing because I thought your work was good and because I was your friend. You started to give another reason, but you stopped. What was the other reason?"

Andy looked suddenly panicked. "I – I don't – I don't know."

Miranda moved forward, secure in the knowledge that Andrea really had nowhere to go, besides into the fountain, and placed her fingers under her chin, tilting her head up. "What was the other reason, Andrea?"

Andy let out a slight whimper and turned her head away, sliding on the edge of the fountain and managing to stand up, away from Miranda. "Please, don't do this."

Miranda reached out and grasped her hand. "I saw your work. I had your friend Lily open the gallery for me this morning. I came straight from there."

"You what?"

"I was angry that I didn't see your work. Angry with myself. I called Lily and asked her to open the gallery for me as soon as I got back into the city."

Andy's eyes were wider than saucers, but she was incredibly quiet. "I was right, you know. You are incredibly talented. Your sketches were mesmerizing. The one of your grandmother, of this very fountain, of Cassidy reading, of both my children. They were incredible. But the ones that really mesmerized me, Andrea, were the sketches you did… of me."

Andy pulled her hand free and started to walk away. "Please, please, stop."

"Why are you running away? You wanted me to see them, didn't you?"

Andy turned, tears streaking her face. "I don't know! I don't know. Okay? I don't know what I wanted or what I want or… anything."

Miranda stepped forward and gently placed her hands on either side of Andrea's face. Her thumbs carefully brushed tears away. "Andrea," she said, no louder than a whisper, "you wanted me to see them, didn't you?"

Andy closed her eyes and moved her head up and down one time, the word falling from her lips, "Yes".

"Good," Miranda continued to speak softly, as though telling a secret that only they could share. "Because I wanted to see them."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"I-"

"You've been drawing me since the day we met. That's what Lily and Doug told me."

"Yes." Her eyes were still closed.

"Why?" She still held her face, not letting her move.

"You're beautiful and powerful and… a perfect subject."

"None of the sketches actually definitively show me. They are only profiles or side views or things associated with me."

"I –" Andy tried to move her head, to look away, but Miranda held her in place. "I have others. Portraits, sketches where your face shows. I didn't want to show them."

"Why not?"

"I didn't want anyone else to see them." Miranda could barely hear the words coming out of her mouth. "They're private. I didn't want anyone else to see…"

"To see what?"

"Please, stop." Andrea was imploring her now.

"The sketch you did of me, that day in Central Park. It was amazing. It stole my breath away." Miranda made sure Andrea was looking at her. "Why did you name it 'Memoranda'?"

Andy looked down. "I don't know…"

"You do."

"Miranda, please." Her eyes were glassy with tears.

"Memoranda, Miranda. Is that why you did it? They were close enough, yet not the same?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. Please, just…"

"Or was it for another reason?" Miranda studied the beautiful face. "The entire world is a dreadful collection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her!" She quoted. Andrea looked away. "Andrea?"

"Wuthering Heights," she whispered.

"Yes. Wuthering Heights. Did you think I wouldn't know the quote?"

"I didn't think you'd ever see it." Andy responded, her eyes suddenly glowing with a fire, a challenge.

"I did." Miranda said simply. "A dreadful collection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her. Do you think you've lost me, Andrea?"

Andy turned away, the words not even a whisper. "I never had you." Miranda heard them.

She reached forward, placing her hands on the brunette's shoulders. "Yes, you did. You still do." She gently turned Andrea to face her. "You haven't lost me, Andrea. I'm right here."

They were very, very close together now. "Please," Andy whispered, although she didn't know what she was asking for.

"I'm right here. Andrea." Miranda breathed the words out, leaning closer to Andrea.

"Miranda." She whispered, before she finally tilted her head up, pressing her lips against the older woman's.

It was tentative, slow, and soft. Andy pulled away first, eyes open, forehead resting against Miranda's, waiting to see her reaction. Miranda opened her eyes, looked at Andrea, and leaned back down, kissing her again.

"Oh." Andy whispered when they pulled away the second time.

"Oh." Miranda repeated, her hands coming up to tangle in Andrea's hair.

"Miranda."

"I hate that I wasn't here." Miranda told her seriously. "I hated everything about the trip. Nothing was right about it. I didn't get to talk to you. I couldn't sleep without talking to you. I was miserable. And I didn't get to see you in that Chanel dress."

Andy giggled just slightly at that, and it was music to her ears. "I could wear it sometime for you."

"Yes." Miranda nodded definitely. "You will."

She kissed her once more. Afterwards, Andrea spoke again. "Miranda, what are we doing?"

"What do you want us to be doing?"

Andy let out a laugh at that, and slipped out of Miranda's arms, beginning to pace back and forth. "I don't know. Or I do know, and that's the problem."

"Andrea, I am a fifty year old woman. I'm the editor of the top fashion magazine in the business. My reputation, I am sure, precedes me. I am a workaholic who will more than likely be late to everything. I will forget important things. I will say horrible things at times. And if all that wasn't enough, I come with two teenage daughters and two ex-husbands. But I've come to realize in these last few days that I, more than likely, am in love with you. I want to always see myself the way you see me, the way you draw me, and I want you to always be there to listen to me complain before I fall asleep at night. I feel if you give it a chance, like I could be the Heathcliff to your Catherine."

A slow smile worked its way across Andrea's face. "No."

"N-no?"

"No. You're not Heathcliff. And I'm not Catherine. We're not in that story. We're in this story. And in this story, hopefully, no one dies alone, without the other part of their soul." She bit her lip. "I know all about you, Miranda Priestly and I know without a doubt that I'm in love with you, if you'll have me."

And then they were kissing again, this time full of love and want and all the longing they'd both been feeling. When they pulled away, Andy was grinning widely. "How'd you know where to find me?"

"A lucky guess." Miranda smiled. She reached down and held on to Andrea's hand. "Do you think she would like me?"

"Grandma Eve? She'd love you."

"And you're sure about this?"

"Mmhmm. She told me so. Right before you got here, in fact."

Miranda smiled at that, and began to walk along with Andy, who had started to move away from the fountain. "What are you doing today?"

"Going to the store. I told your children they could come and spend the day with me, since we didn't think you'd be home."

"Well, then it looks like I'm going to the store too."

"Miranda, you just had an incredibly long flight and… you don't have to."

"I want to." Was all she said.

**

She was curled in the same chair that Cassidy had been sitting in, in Andrea's sketch. It was a large, overstuffed chair, and it was incredibly comfortable. Between the chair, the music Andrea had going, and the warm aroma of coffee and muffins, she felt herself being lulled into a sleepy state.

"Tell me about yourself," she asked Andrea.

"I'm sure you heard all about me from Lily and Doug." Andy teased.

"Mm. I did that. But I didn't hear it from you. I like to hear your voice. Tell me things I don't know. What is your middle name?"

"Marie." She answered.

"Your favorite memory of your grandmother."

She listened as Andy began to talk in soft, soothing tones about the grandmother she adored. Sometime during Andy's speech she must have dozed off, because the next thing she was aware of was the sound of her children's voices talking with Andy.

"When did she get home?"

"Early this morning."

"Why did she come back?"

"She said she wanted to see my sketches. She tried to get here earlier but couldn't."

It was Cassidy who asked the question she was dreading. "Are you two together now?"

"Well, um," she didn't open her eyes, but she knew Andrea was blushing that shade of pink that she loved so much.

"Cool." Both girls said at once, relieving both Miranda and Andy. "So, what are we doing today?"

She dozed off again and the next time she was aware of things, Doug and Lily's voices and Coco's little barks could be heard. They were all laughing together at something. It was a lovely sound.

As she drifted off to sleep again, she thought about everything that was to come. The press would surely have a field day once they found out about her relationship with Andrea. And she and Andrea still had far to go in figuring out their relationship. Plus there were the children to consider and her work hours. But right now, listening to the woman she knew she loved laughing with her friends and Miranda's children, she knew it was going to be all right. It might not be a storybook romance, but it was going to be their romance. And this time, she knew it was going to be a happier ending for everyone.


End file.
